To Die and Forgive
by Qu1ntus
Summary: Kurin Salamencia, among others, was fairly a normal human, and a pretty decent guy to be with. He's kind. He's smart. He's also the 'Black Prince.' He was asked out by his best friend, Yuuma Amano. He gets stabbed through by the end of the night. But no worries. It's not the first time it's happened to him. Dying, that is. [OCxRaynarexHarem]
1. Kurin and Raynare

It was a beautiful night in Kuoh. Well... except for what's currently happening to me. I was at the park with Yuuma-chan, who just stabbed me with a spear.

"Gahhhh... *hack*... Yuuma-chan..." I held the area were I was stabbed through, which was my chest. A lot of blood was pouring out of the wound, and I coughed out some myself. I saw my best friend, tears streaming out of her eyes.

"I'm sorry... I have no other choice... curse them... curse the gods who put that... _thing_... within you... I'm... I'm so sorry..." She said. Despite the situation I was in, I was confused with her statement. And... was she hesitating? She was always the headstrong type of person. For all my life I've never seen my Yuuma-hime ever hesitate. Even when she asked me the strange question. She had also hesitated then.

Wait a second... _**my**_ _Yuuma-hime_? Where in blazing fires did that came from?

Why am I feeling... oh shit... I'm falling, and my blood's pouring out even more now. Now I can't figure out why she hesitated. I fell down to the ground with a thud, my eyes closing.

And... I'm dead, the last image of my eyes was seeing my light ray of a princess cry. Damn it, this is my fault! I made her cry! I'm her best friend, and I shouldn't have made her cry! Goddamn it. Yes I'm dead. I know. But who the fuck cares about that now?! I promised her! I promised her I wouldn't let her cry again!

...right, then, I've rambled too much. Before this moves on, I better give a bit of a rundown of what happened earlier today.

Oh, almost forgot. My name's Kurin Salamencia.

* * *

Kurin Salamencia. He's 17 years old. He's well-known among his class and the higher-ups at Kuoh Academy, so much that his unofficial moniker is the "Black Prince of Kuoh" to reflect Yuuto Kiba's moniker, alongside the monikers given to Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima. An incredibly kind person, he believes that sometimes it's better to be kind than to be a jerk, so he treats everyone with kindness and respect. Though his moniker reflected more on his own style clothing. Along with his academy uniform, he prefers to wear a special black cloak. He just likes the color black a lot.

It was a typical morning for him. He'd get up early, take a bath, change into his school clothes, along with a special black coat which he wears almost all the time in school, cook up breakfast, and call up his best friend Yuuma Amano as he ate, alone.

"Morning, Yuuma-hime." He said to her. She giggled.

"Good morning, Kurin-kun." She affectionately said.

"Ready for another day?"

"Yeah. Oh, um, also, I want to talk to you in person as soon as we meet. Is that okay?"

He raised an eyebrow at that. Don't they always talk to each other in person everyday? Regardless, he shrugged and nodded to himself. "Alright my light ray. I'll be sure to be there for you." He told her in assurance. He could almost feel her smile, as if really thankful, from the other side of the call.

"Great! I'll see you there, Kurin-kun. Bye!"

"Yeah. Bye, Yuuma-chan." They would both then hang up. He sighed, probably something important. Another day, another chance to be closer to Yuuma-hime. He kept wondering, _'How the hell is it that I can get so nervous around her now? It wasn't like this before... oh right. It's because I like her.'_

The two became friends almost as if it was a coincidence. It had almost been a year and a half ago when the two first met, colliding upon each other on the first day of school. She was relatively new, and he had been studying at Kuoh Academy for quite some time now. He remembered it as clear as day...

* * *

"Whoa! Excuse me! Coming through!" Yuuma exclaimed as she hurriedly ran to class. Kurin, meanwhile, was the opposite. He was calmly walking through the hallways, getting smiles and hellos from everyone around him. And being the kind person he was, he greeted them back. The girls were swooning over him, but he paid no mind to them.

And in no time the two collided, crashing to the ground. Yuuma's stuff were scattered on the floor.

"Auuuu... sorry... I didn't see you there... it hurts..." Yuuma apologetically said, rubbing her forehead. Kurin shook his head, laughing it off.

"No... that's okay... didn't notice you either." He said back, noticing her stuff. "I should be the one who's sorry. Here, let me help you with this."

"O-oh, um... thank you." They both stood up. He smiled at her.

"What's your name?"

"Yuuma Amano."

"Kurin Salamencia. Nice to meet you, Yuuma-chan. Do you want to walk with me?"

"Sure, why not." She shrugged and smiled. He nodded. Soon enough they arrived at Kurin's classroom.

"I guess this is where we part ways then. This is my classroom." He told her. She looked at him, confused.

"Um... this is also where I'll be at."

"What?! Really?" She happily nodded at that. He laughed at that.

"Well I guess we'll be seeing each other more then from now on."

"Yup."

The two then sat next to each other in the classroom as classes began. What followed was a year and a half of lasting best friendship and admiration towards one another.

Yuuma Amano, or rather, Raynare, was just adjusting to life on Earth, after being given a mission by Azazel to keep an eye on the students of Kuoh Academy, as he suspects one of them, or hell, even two, has a Sacred Gear. Assigned with her are her three fellow Fallen Angel companions Dohnaseek, Kalawarner, and Mittelt.

She didn't think she'd have a companion in Kurin, and a human at that. At first, she didn't like him due to his nature, thinking that she's superior ovr him, but over time, she grew to accept their friendship, and saw how humans can be great in their own ways. And slowly, despite orders, she began to fall for the kind human.

She kept hearing how lucky she was that she has the attention of one of the most popular boys in the school. She takes it in stride and simply continued to be who she was, changed by the one human whom she had fallen for. And surprisingly, she hid well her infatuation with him. Maybe it was due to her fears, her insecurities about her best friend, her fallen angel nature, no one knows, and no one will ever know except for herself. Despite that, she has never forgotten her mission of keeping watch on the students, on the lookout for the owner of the Sacred Gear.

Fortunately for her, he has the same feelings for her as well. His fears of not being able to tell her are of the typical type. The 'friendship will be threatened' type of fear, much like how most friendships that turn into special relationships go. Like his best friend, he hid his feelings for her impressively as well.

Even as Yuuma's a new student, Kurin has managed to get the envy of almost every boy in school. Everyone could see how beautiful the girl was, and they were jealous he has her attention, popular and all. Not like it mattered much to him. He wanted to be a friend to everyone, and Yuuma's no exception. It's just that somewhere along the way he fell in love with her. And still most of the boys respected him a lot.

Now it all escalates on that fateful day.

* * *

"So Yuuma-chan, what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Kurin asked.

"Well... if it isn't too much to ask... can I ask you out on a date?"

"Shouldn't I be the one who should be asking you that since- wait WHAT?! R-r-really?!" To his surprise and elation, she smiled and nodded.

"I really like you, Kurin-kun. I've liked you for quite some time now, and..."

He then cut her off. "You don't need to say anything else, Yuuma-chan. I'll gladly take you out on a date."

A few tears fell. "I'm glad. After school, okay?" She felt him caress her cheek and raise her up to look at him. He was smiling brightly.

"Okay."

The rest of the school hours passed by, as both waited for the fated time.

However, she learned during those hours that they found out who had the Sacred Gear, and that she was now given orders to kill him to prevent him from becoming too powerful. It was Kurin, which devastatingly broke her heart.

In light of the information given to her, she resolved to give Kurin the best day he ever had while she hid her sorrow from him. So she did.

They went out to see a movie, they played games at the arcade, and they ate dinner at her expense. Not that she minded, after all she wanted him to be happy. He would've wanted to, but she insisted, without any room for retort, so he just decided to let her. At least they paid their own for the other things they've done. Finally, they went for a walk on the park. She held onto him as they walked, nuzzling close to him.

"I gotta say, today was great." Kurin told her, looking at her deeply. She smiled and giggled a bit.

"Yeah, me too, Kurin-kun. I loved it too." She said.

Too soon, she realized she has to end this. She loved him with all her heart. She really did. So now, all she wants is to quickly get this over with. She teared up.

"Yuuma-chan? What's wrong?" He asked her, concerned.

"Can we stop here? I want to ask you… I… please… I want to ask you something. A favor, yeah." She breathed out, some tears falling from her face.

"Well… okay, if that's what you want." They did so.

"So… what is it, Yuuma-chan?" He asked.

"Kurin-kun… would you please… die… for me?" She asked, trying to be strong, but ultimately failed as she asked with heart-wrenching regret. Her love for him was overruled by her obedience to her faction, and she felt no choice. Her final wish for him was to die as painlessly and peacefully as possible, to avoid giving him pain.

Kurin was confused. "I'm sorry, what was that again?" He asked, making sure he heard what he just heard.

"Kurin-kun… I love you with all my heart, so much… it just… it hurts… that you… you... have to die…" On her back, two black wings arose, and a spear appeared on her hand.

The black prince could only look up at such beauty and be in awe. "Beautiful..."

She gripped the spear, as if trying to resist. But she knew she had no choice.

"I'M SORRY!"

And then he was impaled.

* * *

And that's where I died. Of course, if I really did die, this story would've ended so quickly.

I open my eyes to see Yuuma-chan about to leave. I guess she mourned for me for a while. I looked back down on my body, the spear still there. I simply pulled it out of my body, throwing it away. I stood up, the gaping wound on my chest disappearing, the bleeding stopping, running towards Yuuma. I wrapped my arms around her.

I heard an audible gasp. "K-K-Kurin-kun?!" She asked me in apparent shock.

"It's okay. I forgive you." I only said to her these words as I inched closer to her.

"B-b-but… how are you…?!" She gasped out.

"I'll tell you, just so long as you tell me who you really are, my Yuuma-hime." I said, nuzzling myself towards her, resting against her neck. She let out a small moan at that.

"I'm… I'm so sorry, Kurin-kun..." She said.

"And as I said, it's okay. And… you hesitated."

"Wh-what do you mean?" She asked me.

"You're always the headstrong type of person. To see you hesitate on something means something's wrong. You can tell me. Let it out."

"I couldn't… because I love you so much... but I had to… to make sure… orders are..." She then stopped, and then I heard her cry once more. I gripped her a bit tighter.

"Shhhh, it's alright. Let it out. I'm here, my Yuuma. I won't leave you. Not now, not ever." I did my best to assure her that I will always be by her side. I'm never going to leave her. She's been with me through a lot, and she deserves not to be alone.

"I'll tell you everything tomorrow, okay, Yuuma-hime? So long as you explain too." I asked her, releasing my grip on her, only to spin her to now face me. I wiped away the tears streaming from her face. She blushed looking down.

"O-okay, Kurin-kun. I will too." She said and nodded. I smiled.

"Come on, let's go home."

"Wait!"

"Hm? What is it, Yuuma-hime?"

"Can I… stay with you, just for tonight? I'm… a bit scared to go back home." She asked.

I chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Anything for you, Yuuma-chan."

* * *

Meanwhile, a shocked Rias Gremory witnessed everything. If one was wondering, no she did not follow them all throughout their date, only hearing from them about the park thing. From there she decided to follow.

How could a devil be so interested in a human? She had her hunch, and decided to follow it. She knew there was more to Kurin that what he puts up. From the moment the two met she knew there was something about him that made her want to know more about him. They've had their interactions from time to time, especially when she, Kurin (when he had free time, especially without Yuuma), and Sona were together, where the trio would play chess, alternating, with most of the battles being draws, though Kurin always had the upper hand against Sona, something which irritated her greatly.

He was so kind. He wasn't like most guys at the school. He treated her as a good, if not close friend, along with kindness and respect. It's no wonder many of the girls are fans of his, and why Yuuma had fallen for him hard too. Sure the guys didn't like it that much, but he paid no mind to them, much like the majority of the girls at the school. Besides, he's also very respected among the boys. She wondered how the hell is it that someone of his kindness would be labeled as the "Black Prince" despite that he's so kind, and that the color black almost always represents evil.

Key term being 'almost always.' It seems he's the one proving that dark isn't so evil.

She ruled out the fact that he was an angel, as angels would never be associated with darkness, except for the fallen ones. She ruled out that he was a devil as well, as she could not sense anything remotely demon or devil-like within him.

Her ultimate conclusion was that he was simply human… with a Sacred Gear.

The question was…

What kind of Sacred Gear was in his possession?

As time passed, she found her more and more interested in the human. Oftentimes she'd go with him whenever he isn't with Yuuma, sometimes with her best friend Akeno, sometimes alone. And in a sense she continued learning more and more about him.

She thought about making him a part of her peerage, but shook it off, as it would seem there might never be a situation where he'd be dying, if his cautiousness was anything to go by. Plus, she just couldn't find it in herself to do so. Devils were meant to be possessive and manipulative, and while she may be so on the first one, she couldn't find herself to be manipulative towards him.

Thus, she decided to simply wait and observe to see how her Kurin would be.

Wait... her Kurin? She just shook the thought aside. Knowing more about who he truly was is more important than her... infatuation, towards him.

And it seems all of her questions about the mysterious yet immensely kind boy would be given to her that night and the next day.

Her interest in him increased tenfold.

With that, her mind was settled.

She decided to formally introduce him and Yuuma to the rest of her peerage, and explain to him the world he just entered, along with getting some answers back too.

Of course, no one would be expecting the answers he would give to all of them.

* * *

I was now at home, lying on the bed, with Yuuma-hime by my side. Both of us were now on our night clothes, and she was sleeping peacefully, with my right arm being hugged by her, along with her um… chest close to it too. I blushed a deep red.

Ah damn it, I'm still so flustered around these types of feelings and stuff. Though I guess it comes with possibly being in a relationship too.

 _[So I'm guessing everything changes from here on out, Kurin?]_ Sellorion, the being and embodiment of the Sacred Gear within my body, asked.

Anyways, I heard the question, and inwardly, I smiled.

' _Yeah, pretty much so, Sellorion. Although… no, never mind. I'm sure things will be clearer once tomorrow comes. Thanks for your explanation, Sel, even though it was kinda limited, but...'_

 _[I understand, Kurin. Also… congrats on finally getting the girl! And it seems she isn't the only one who has a deep interest in you. I say have a harem all the way!]_ I blushed even more from that statement.

' _Wh-what the heck are you talking about, Sel?!'_ I was hoping for a response, but all I got was a deep laugh, and my connection with the being was now all but gone.

That perverted being… SELLORION!

* * *

 **AN: Well now, I thought I'd give a hand at High School DxD. For the record, this is more of just a prologue chapter to the full story. I won't be focusing too much on this since I have my other main story with me still ongoing. Only when I'm done with that will I be able to focus more on this one. As you can tell Issei is nowhere to be seen here. That's because I'm still unsure whether he should even exist at all in the story. I'll think about that more and more as time passes, but you'll know what happens in the next one, which won't be out for a long while.**

 **Also, this wouldn't exactly be a High School DxD without a harem. It was too much to pass up. As you know Raynare's already there, and I'm thinking that she'll be the main partner for Kurin. And... I am not sure if I can be able to write smut, so for the time being this stays rated T. I probably will not keep the first person point of view for this story, so I'll just put it for some very special occasions.**

 **Anyways, review! I'd love to see your thoughts on the chapter. I'll put this as complete for the time being.**

 **Until then.**


	2. Welcome To What You Already Know

The next day...

Kurin was the first of the two to wake up. He looked beside himself to see Yuuma still sleeping peacefully. She was also gripping his right arm and held it close to her. He smiled at that. He loved the way she looked so serene, as if nothing terrible could ever happen to her. However, he knew that after last night, things will change, drastically he might add even. He's known her for the past year and a half, and only now did he learn of what her true nature was, or at least a sense of it. Whatever the case may be, she definitely wasn't human. From previous explanations by Sellorion, he suspected her of being a fallen angel the most. He's hoping to get some answers later in the day, but for now, he decided to let things be as if last night's events hadn't happened. The only other thought he had was that they were now together. For obvious reasons, this made him really happy. She stuck by him ever since they met, and she wasn't going to leave anytime either. Neither will he if anything bad comes up with her.

"Yuuma... Yuuma-chan, it's time to wake up." He gently nudged her.

"Five more minutes, Kalawarner..." Yuuma mumbled. That made Kurin a bit curious.

' _Hm... must be one of her colleagues. Maybe.'_ He thought. The other thing he wondered was how is he going to wake her up. He thought for a moment, and then gained a very mischievous glint in his eyes. He grinned a bit.

"Yuuma, come on... wake up..." He said again, pressing her to wake up. And again she refused to do so in her sleepy state. "Five more minutes..." She said.

"Alright... you leave me no choice..." He said, slowly pulling his arm out of her grip.

Once he did, he started tickling her, first by lightly touching her sides, increasing the speed. Yuuma woke up, eyes widening so suddenly, laughing.

"Gahhhhahahahahaha, Kurin-kun stop!" Yuuma pleaded. However he kept on tickling her. In fact, he increased his speed just a bit. She laughed harder as a result.

"KURIN-KUN HAHAHAHAHAHA STOP PLEASE!" She asked again as she tried to get away, still laughing and so did he. He slowed it down this time, but he still didn't stop. However, she was able to escape, and now he was chasing her around the house.

"Come on, Yuuma-chan! It's not over!" He said, laughing along the way.

"I won't let you catch me!" She said back, a huge smile on her face.

"Not unless I can get to you!"

Eventually he did catch her in a tackle from behind, making them crash to the floor. She giggled as she said, "You got me!" She turned to face him.

His eyes were closed and he was smiling. One of his signature expressions, she recognized. Kurin never usually smiled like that, saving that kind of smile only for those who are closest to him, and even then that's rare. And since this is Kurin, who, despite his popularity, is actually pretty choosing of who his closest friends really are, that's very rare to see. Because really, he's only had four closest friends. Namely her, Rias, and Sona. There was one other friend he had been closest with, but he's gone now, having moved away. When he smiles like that, it's more or less a sign that he trusts the person with his life.

But then she noticed the small tears escaping his closed eyes, along with sounds that reminded her of crying and it confused her. There wasn't any true reason for him to be sad, and both of them should be happy, so... _'Why is he crying?'_ she wondered. She reached out to him, her right hand caressing his left cheek, wiping the tears on that side.

"Kurin?" She spoke to him. He opened his eyes to see his beautiful girlfriend, looking very concerned for him. "Is something wrong? Why... why are you crying? Are you sad?" She asked.

He shook his head, wiping some of his own tears away. "I'm... I'm crying, yeah, I know, but... these tears... they're tears of joy, Yuuma. I'm crying because finally... _finally_... someone really does love me." He embraced her harder, making her gasp, not because of the grip, but because of his words.

It baffled her that despite the one year, their experiences, their memories, she still had yet to know who Kurin really was inside, save for his Sacred Gear. Though it's a given. She's never been to his home, and this was the first time she was in his home, she's talked with him a lot, but not on a personal level, but she was always there. She's been there for him, and for Kurin, that was more than enough.

"Oh Kurin." She only said. He cried as she returned the embrace harder.

* * *

"Right, then. So, obviously I'm gonna need some explanations, so begin from the start, Yuuma-chan." He said. The two were now on their way to the school.

"Well...I haven't been so honest so much with myself. My name isn't really Yuuma Amano. It's just the name of my human disguise." She said.

"So what is your real name then?" He asked. She hesitated a bit. She then sighed, knowing that she eventually had to tell him.

"My name is Raynare. I'm a Fallen Angel." When he didn't answer, she continued, "A year ago, I was tasked by the leader of our faction, Azazel-sama, to observe someone who was suspected to possess a Sacred Gear. That person was you. Sometime sooner, it seemed as though the higher-ups were impatient with my progress, and they then tasked me to-" She didn't expect to be cut off by him.

"Kill me. No wonder why you hesitated. You didn't want to." He said.

She was taken aback by his reaction. It gave her pause, but she regained the composure to continue her explanation. "...Yes. I didn't want to because I loved you, but at the same time I couldn't disobey orders either. I'm still young, and I never went through these decisions, so I was torn." She said. "But don't think that I'd actively kill you because I was just following orders! But...probably the old me would've done that."

"Old you?" He inquired.

"Like I said, I was young. And being young meant being ambitious. I wanted to rise up through the ranks, and I was so eager to do what it took to get there. But when you came along, you taught me that it didn't mean everything to be so ambitious and to get to the top." She explained. He nodded and smiled.

"I'm glad I did, then." He said.

The two continued to walk when Raynare realized something about him. "Wait...this isn't what I expected. Shouldn't this be a lot to take in for you?"

He sighed. He should've expected this. Maybe he should've just faked his reaction to her words. Maybe he should've hid it instead. But he realized that he'd be lying to her too, and he'd be no different from her before. "It isn't. I've actually known the existence of the Devil, Angel, and Fallen Angel factions for some time now. And...I've known that you were a Fallen from the moment we met." He said, shocking her.

"W-what? How?" She asked.

"I've known my Sacred Gear for a long time now. Its embodiment taught me much about the factions, and everything else about them. And, well, I can be able to passively distinguish any kind of race altogether, whether it be Human, Devil, Angel, Fallen Angel, and many more, though I'm still trying to get the." They then arrived at the entrance. "Looks like we're here. Let's talk about that later."

Suddenly Raynare held his hand in hers, interlocking their fingers together. His eyes grew slightly wide, and he asked her, "Are you sure you want us to be seen like this?"

"Are _you_?"She asked back.

It only took him a few seconds of pause to think before pulling her into his arms and pressing his lips against hers. She was taken aback by this but she internally melted and returned the kiss in kind, arms hooked onto his neck, uncaring if people saw them. As they pulled away, he looked at her, a smirk on his face, and a gleam on his eyes that she couldn't help but be entranced with.

"That's to show anyone that you're mine. I'm not gonna let you go." He said.

Raynare stifled a chuckle in response to that. "I've been yours from the moment I fell for you. No one will replace you." With that little event done, they both walked into the school, hand in hand.

"Heh, fell for me. Knowing who you are, hehehe..." He noted.

"That was unintentional!" Raynare giggled.

One Akeno Himejima was watching them in secret. She had to admit, watching the two do that certain action turned her on a bit, but she had to do what her King asked her to, and that was to watch the two on their way to school and report back to her. She licked her lips and smirked.

"Ara ara, it seems that Rias has some competition ahead of her. Time I notified her of this new development."

 **[Heh. Didn't think you had it in you, kid. That was bold. Really bold.]** Sellorion said to Kurin.

' _I dunno. It just felt like something I had to do. I love her, and I don't want anyone else to have her.'_ He said to him.

 **[Better get used to it, kid. That's not gonna be the last time you're gonna do that.]**

' _Yeah, I guess—wait, what?! The hell are you talking about?! It's not like I'm gonna have a harem or something, right?!'_ When he heard no response from the entity, he sighed. _'I hate you sometimes, you perverted deity.'_

Sitting next to each other in the classroom, the two simply just waited. Raynare noticed his small inner outburst. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright. You're supposed to report to your superiors right? How long do you have?"

"I have about a week after it was issued, and it was only two days ago. Why?"

"Well, I kinda heard you in your sleep earlier, saying something about Kalawara, Kalawardner, or something, that name's there, I just have to..."

She blushed in embarrassment. "Eheheh, so you heard that. Her name's Kalawarner, and she's the closest friend I've met before I met you."

"No need to be embarrassed. Is there anyone else who're with you?"

"Two, actually. There's Mittelt, who seems to just like being a loli, and then there's Dohnaseek."

"And I'm guessing you're the leader in your mission?"

"Actually, it's Dohnaseek. It's from him that I learned about the mission update, and it's from him that I learned my objective. He reports to them, and they tell him what to do next to tell to us."

"I see." He said. _'Something doesn't seem to add up...'_ He thought. Those thoughts were then interrupted when they saw someone approach the two of them: Yumi Kiba, his counterpart, both in moniker and a few other things.

"Ahh, Yumi-san! What's up?" He said, waving towards the girl.

"Hello, Kurin-kun. Greetings to you as well, Amano-san." She respectfully said. "This is an urgent matter, so, is it okay if I may escort you two somewhere? Rias wants to meet you two." She requested.

Kurin chuckled. "If Rias had wanted a meeting with me, she should've asked me in person. But that's alright, Yumi. Yuuma-chan, let's get to it."

Raynare hesitated. "Are you sure you can trust her?"

He shrugged. "It'll be alright. You're safe with me."

After a few seconds, Raynare nodded. Kurin nodded back and turned to Yumi.

"Take us to where Rias wants to meet us."

* * *

At the clubhouse, everyone else was waiting for the three to arrive.

"Are you done, Buchou? They'll be here any moment-" Akeno was cut off with the door opening. "-now."

Koneko Toujou meanwhile was simply sitting on the couch, eating some of her sweets. "That must be them." She said, and as she did, she was proven right, as the trio entered.

"Rias? I've brought them here now." Yumi called out.

Kurin turned to Yumi with a sigh. "Again? If she knows that we are to meet at least she has to be in time."

"Can't be helped, Kurin-kun."

He noticed the floor engraved with circles and markings. _'If this serves me right, this is a magic circle.'_

Kurin then felt a tug on his arm, and saw that Raynare was trying her best to feel unfazed by the presences of the people around her. "I...I don't like it here. I'm a bit scared."

"Don't worry, Ray-chan. I'll protect you." He let her hold him close to her. She calmed down almost immediately as he felt her ease herself into him. He smiled. Aware of the tensions between the three factions, he knew that he had to be the person to mediate all this conflict in case any comes out. He didn't mind in the slightest. In his entire life, he's always been one to end fights through talking with those involved. He's pretty sure it won't be any different with the factions either.

He noticed the younger student looking at him in interest. He turned to her. "Hello, Koneko-chan." He said.

"Greetings, Salamencia-senpai." She said.

"Ah, I'm guessing you haven't met the girl next to me, right?" He asked, to which he got a nod in response. "This is Yuuma-chan, my girlfriend." He introduced the Fallen to her. She nervously waved to the young student, to which Koneko nodded in return.

Behind him, he noticed the sounds that would typically come from a bathroom, and he turned to see a bathtub and the silhouette of someone bathing in it. No doubt in his mind he knew this was Rias. It seems since they met, that habit hasn't gone away. Mentally, he shrugged. It looks like that's never gonna change.

Rias soon came out of the tub, looking much fresher than last night. Kurin snorted but smiled. "Right, then. Hey, Rias, Akeno." He greeted to the two.

"Ara, pleasant morning, Kurin-kun." Akeno said.

"Good morning, Kurin-kun." Rias said. "With that, everyone's here. Good that you brought Amano-san here as well. Welcome, both of you, to the Occult Research Club." Akeno meanwhile was setting up cups of tea around the table.

With no response from the two, Rias continued, "Let's cut to the chase. You see Kurin-kun, Amano-san, we're-"

"Devils." Kurin cut her off. The word didn't register into everyone's minds immediately, but once it did, the shock on their faces was instantaneous.

"WHAT?!" All of them, save for Koneko, who could only react with wide eyes, shouted at him. Akeno dropped the tray. Rias gasped in shock. Yumi covered her mouth. Even Raynare was shocked with what Kurin knew.

"Yup." He said, grinning. "Didn't expect that one, didn't you?" He stood up and walked around them.

"I thought we kept ourselves hidden so well..." Rias uttered, still reeling. If one word from him was enough to surprise her immensely, what else did this boy knew?

"Ah, don't get yourself so bummed out, Rias-chan. You did. You all hid so well. You're all able to mask yourselves as human that no ordinary one could be able to detect that you're certainly not." He said, getting behind her and rested his chin on hers and placing his hands on her shoulders, kneading them gently, as if giving her a light massage. "Though...I'm not ordinary. That much you, Rias-chan, know, based on how much you saw last night."

Inside, Rias was so nervous. Kurin, in all his unassuming form, knew so much. Plus, not to mention that he was so close to her ear. Combined with her liking for him, she was having a hard time and barely kept a moan from coming out, not wanting to feel so embarrassed by him in front of her peers. He was different from the Black Prince that they saw everyday.

Luckily enough, Yumi cut short of that. "Please get to the point, Kurin-kun. How?"

His head raised, he stopped his action of massaging Rias's shoulders. They all felt him change back to the Kurin they knew. "Alright. I think I kept you all in the dark soon enough, including you, Ray-chan." He sat back down, and everyone huddled in front of him.

His gaze was now focused on both Rias and Raynare. "Right, so all of you, you two especially, are probably wondering how the hell am I still alive despite that I took a light spear to the heart, which would kill an ordinary human." He saw Raynare wince. "Sorry, Ray-hime. As I said, I forgive you." She gave back a small smile. "Right, then. I have a Sacred Gear." He said.

' _So I was right all along...'_ Rias thought.

"They called it the Undying Remorse. No one knows of its existence, save for the only few people who do, that being me, and now, me alone, along with its embodiment. Everyone else who did know was dead, but not to worry, I didn't kill them." He paused, collecting his composure for a bit before resuming. "Sellorion, the embodiment of my Sacred Gear, explained that at the very core of Undying Remorse is that it resurrects the possessor back to life, no matter how many times he or she died."

"Resurrection?!" Rias said, standing up. "Even that should not be possible!"

"Well, this one was able to, and you saw it yourself. But there is a drawback, and a huge requirement to it, as it was explained to me sometime ago." He shrugged his shoulders, looking over each of them thoughtfully. "Whatever the case, you now know why." He then stood up and started walking towards the door. "Now, shall I take my leave?"

"Wait!" The redhead called out. "Do you at least know how to use the powers associated in a Sacred Gear?"

At the mentioned question, the raven-haired boy stopped. "Actually...yeah, I do."

"Can you show it to us?" Raynare asked. He turned and walked back to the group.

"Stand clear." He instructed. Everyone followed as ordered. He closed his eyes.

"AMATERASU!" At the opening of his eyes, the sofa he was looking at burned black. Everyone gasped at the sight of the eternal black flames. "Enough." They heard him say. At his order, the flames died away immediately, and the sofa was left as if unaffected by the flames.

"It's not really like the power that's shown in that anime. Rather, it's like an illusion...but only for the first five seconds. Then the burning starts. But I always have the order to end it immediately." He explained. Everyone sighed in relief.

"Right. Anything else?" He said.

"Do you know anything about peerages?" She asked.

"No." He said.

Rias had a look of understanding. "Well, let me explain how-" As she was about to begin, Kurin raised his hand.

"I mean to say that...I have no intentions of becoming a member of your peerage." He sighed. Rias was taken aback. No one had ever said that to her. "Not that I can, anyway, at least being a permanent member of any peerage."

"What do you mean, Kurin-san?" Yumi asked.

"While Undying Remorse can be able to help resurrect the owner of the Gear, it forces its vessel to reject anything that will transform them into a supernatural being, at least if permanently. Essentially, I'm human forever, unless it comes off. So even if I wanted to, my body, or my Sacred Gear, specifically, wouldn't allow it." He explained. But he smiled thereafter. "However, if it's alright with you, I'll join the ORC for your sake, so long as you let Ray-chan join." He offered.

"Oh, right." Rias said. Everyone save for Kurin turned to his girlfriend. "The Fallen." Kurin did not like where this was going.

"Why are you in my territory? Why have you been here for so long? You should know that this is Gremory territory, so everything here falls under my jurisdiction." Rias asked Raynare.

Kurin could feel Raynare's anger rising. Her hands were balled into fists, and her wings were threatening to come out "Why did you only go after me now, hm? Is it because of him that you could only make a threat against me now?"

"Leave Kurin-kun out of this, Fallen." Akeno said, coming to her king's aid.

"He's my boyfriend, damn it, so if he wants to be involved in this then I'll let him."

Rias's eyes widened. "Boyfriend? You mean..."

At that, Raynare smirked. "Yup. He's mine now. And you can't do a damn thing, can you?" Her hand was now glowing, and a light spear was being created. Raynare wasn't going to be the only one going for the Sacred Gear user's heart, unknowingly for him.

"Watch your tongue. Remember, you're the one outnumbered here." Yumi said. Everyone but Kurin looked like they were ready to fight. Raynare's wings were coming out in any second. Akeno's hands were crackling with lightning. Rias glowed red, and Yumi and Koneko readied themselves.

" _Sellorion?"_

 **[Yes, Kurin?]**

" _A little help, please."_

 **[Of course, kid.]** With the entity's help, Kurin released a calming aura from his body, flooding the entire room with a bluish mist. Everyone felt themselves getting slightly weaker from it, but it just forced them to stop using their powers.

"Enough of this. I don't care if you're Devil," He looked at the club members. "Fallen," He turned to Raynare. "Or even Angel, if there's any right now. You guys are all my friends. I know it's gonna be hard to work together, but all of you look at me. Look at me." They did as he said. "I'm human, and that alone should be reason enough that I'd be hard to get along with, with the nature of humans and all. And yet what has happened in the past year? I got to be friends with all of you. Why couldn't you guys get along either?"

They all paused and looked at each other for a few moments. When they looked into Raynare's eyes, they didn't see any form of malice that they'd suspect from a hostile Fallen. In general, the relationship between the Fallen Angels and the Devils have always been tenuous, the reason being that there hasn't been any war that occurred since the last Great War. But it was a lesson everyone learned, though not all have learned from it.

"You're not here to harm anyone, are you?" Akeno asked. Raynare shook her head.

"I only came here with Kurin. He wanted me to come with him, and he only would've come here if I was with him." She admitted. Kurin approached her and slung his arm over her shoulders. She felt more protected with him by her side, almost like a guardian aura enveloping her. The club members felt it as well, even though it looked like he was against them.

After a few more moments of silence, Rias gave a nod, turning to her peerage after. "He's right. If we were all able to get along with Kurin-kun, why don't we just try trusting the Fallen too, especially if he trusts her?" She said. Akeno looked at Raynare with an intense gaze, with Kurin only noticing her, or so he thought. "That includes you, Akeno." Rias noted. Once she heard that, her gaze completely flipped, going back to the warm expression she's held. She nodded.

"Of course, Buchou."

All the tension in the room disappeared after that. Kurin let go of Raynare, but she grabbed him and hugged him again. Despite the surprise embrace, he returned it like before.

"You two are now members of the Occult Research Club. I'm Rias Gremory." With a smile, Rias greeted them, the last part directed to the Fallen Angel.

"I'm Akeno Himejima. I hope we can get along well together." The dark-haired Queen said, with an underlying tone of a combination of playfulness and slight resentment that almost went unnoticed by the human. He definitely would need to talk to her about herself soon.

"Yumi Kiba. Nice to meet you." Unlike Akeno, Yumi offered her hand to the dark-haired Fallen beauty. She accepted it and shook hands with her.

"I'm Raynare, Kurin's best friend and boyfriend. I think we'll get along well indeed."

* * *

"So how much do you know about the world we live in?" Rias asked as she handed him a piece of paper with a drawing on it.

He took the paper and read it over. "A lot, so I don't think you'll need to explain much, but I'll tell you if I need something to be refreshed again. Also, isn't this a pentagram?"

"Hai, I'll be sure to." She said. "And yes, it is, but it's more of a 'simplified' one. We use that for teleportation to people who wish to contact us."

"So it's like a 'contract' sort of thing?"

"Yes. It's basically a way to increase reputation in the society of Devils. But you're human, so you kind of don't need that."

"True, but I do want to assist you and your contracts." He said, with genuine interest and a tone that does indicate wanting to help. As a friend, he's always willing to help his close friends. It's been embedded in him since he was young.

"Are you sure? You're not a devil, so you may not gain anything from it." She asked him. He laughed at that. Really, she should've known by now who he was.

"Of course! I want to help you guys." Rias chuckled at his words.

"Alright. Then I guess you won't mind if you start now?"

He nodded. This was a good start.

* * *

Hours later, Kurin arrived home after school and the work Rias assigned him to. He just gave out a lot of the papers that contained the pentagram and the advertisement. After countless work, he was tired. Raynare went to report to her group after she introduced herself to them, faking that she had killed Kurin. When he opened the door to his home and headed to his room, he heard the sounds of water running from the bathroom in his room.

' _Hmmm, Ray-chan must've gotten home early after reporting to them.'_ He thought. Moments later he would be proven right, as a towel-covered Raynare walked out of the bathroom, dripping wet. Out of politeness, he turned away from her.

"It's okay, Kurin-kun. You're the only one I'll let you see me like this." She said, approaching him and embracing him from behind, her soft breasts pressed against his back. Kurin blushed deeply.

"U-u-um...Ray-chan...don't you think...this is a bit too forward?" He stuttered.

She let out a sultry giggle at that. "Awww, is my Kurin-kun a little nervous?" She teased. She grabbed his shoulders and turned him around to face her. He let out an audible gasp when he took a good look at her. The towel was gone, and she was naked in front of him. Since when was she becoming so much more daring and hot?! She had a mirthful smile on her face. Her breasts were full and firm, her body was toned and fit, and her legs were just perfect.

"Enjoying the view?" Raynare said.

He closed his eyes desperately. _'Oh my god...this woman's gonna be the death of me...multiple times.'_ He could only think. When he opened them, he saw her leaning in to kiss him, but he kept backing away from her, and she just went and walked after him until his back was now against the wall. Her face was now mere inches away from his, their hot breaths felt against each other.

She giggled sultrily at his predicament. "You're mine now. No more escape, Ku~rin~kun~" She whispered, emphasizing his name. He was sweating bullets.

He inaudibly gulped. _'Ah fuck it. Might as well use what I've been taught...but I'll turn the tables on her.'_ He evilly thought. He let her lean in and kiss him hard. He returned the favor by grabbing her hips and pulling her closer to him. She gasped and moaned at the feel of his hands. She could feel his tongue demand entrance at her mouth, and she happily obliged. Their tongues collided in a dance of passion and warmth. Kurin surprised Raynare by pulling away from her, only switching their positions, with the Fallen now pressed against the wall. He then went and attacked her neck, peppering it with light kisses and the occasional sucking against her flesh, which only produced more moans from her. If that wasn't enough, he took a hold of her left breast and lightly squeezed it, making her gasp and shudder.

' _H-holy shit...h-how is he so good at this?! I thought I was the one who's gonna...oh fuck...'_ She thought, clearly surprised at how he took control so quickly. He stopped his ministrations, which made her involuntarily let out a whimper, but then he went back at her level, and she saw a smirk form, which only served to heighten her arousal. He hadn't even touched her down there yet!

"As I said before, you're mine." He huskily said, kissing her again, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. But he quickly pulled away from her and stepped away. "Though I would love to take you here and now, it's not the right time yet." He said, throwing her the towel. "Get dressed. I'll want to hear what you reported to your fellow Fallen Angels." He left for the living room, leaving a rather surprised and _really_ hot and bothered Fallen Angel.

' _Did he just...mou! That's unfair! You have got to be kidding me!'_ Raynare dejectedly thought. _'And just as I was on the verge too...'_ Despite that, she did as instructed, wearing a pair of jeans and a simple shirt, and went down to the living room. There, from behind, she saw him sitting on the couch. She sat down next to him, nuzzling her head against his neck. He looked down on her and smiled, wrapping an arm around her.

"Why'd you stop?" She asked him.

"We're kinda, you know, not yet ready for this type of thing. I mean, we just started dating after all. I feel that we're going too fast with it." He explained. Though he _really_ would've wanted to, he felt that things were progressing too quickly for their liking.

She nodded, as her mind went through his words and the realization was there. True, they were best friends since last year, and now they're very much in love with each other, it's only been two days. "I understand. We'll do it on your pace, then." She said, embracing him.

"Thank you, Ray-chan. You've been my light ray since we met." He said. "Now, what did you report to your group?"

"Well, they believed me when I said that I killed you. Dohnaseek was pleased, but the other two weren't. Instead, all we had were more questions. We wondered why we were given that order, but Dohnaseek paid no mind and told us to continue the mission. I'm going to meet up with them again a few days from now to continue it." She said, and then looked down. He wondered what was going on her mind. She looked back up to his eyes moments later, and they showed signs of concern. "I need you and the club's help. I want you guys to stop us. What we're doing...this...this isn't right. I know Azazel-sama wouldn't order us to do something like this."

"What is your mission, anyway?" He asked, hoping that she'd tell him so that they can be able to finish it quickly, and hopefully get no one harmed or, worse, killed.

"We were supposed to obtain a Sacred Gear. But...that's all I can tell you tonight. You'll find out more in the next coming days, I promise." She vaguely said. He didn't like the answer that much, but he's willing to help her. He understood that she was still very conflicted over her mission. While the first part, which was to lie to her friends that she did what was told and killed him, was done, the second part was much harder to do, since one slip-up could get her killed.

"Alright. I guess I'll let that slip. Come on, it's getting late, and it's time for us to sleep. We still have school tomorrow." He stood up, but before he could walk, he felt his arm tugged by the girl. He looked back at her. She had her eyes wide, and her lips pursed.

"Carry me, please. I'm so tired." She said. He smiled.

"You didn't need to give me the look you know. But then again, with you like that, how could I even resist?" He said, lowering down to her. She went and wrapped her arms around his neck, and locked her legs around his waist. She rested her head on his shoulders, but not before kissing his cheek, which made him blush a bit. "Is this gonna happen a lot of times?" He asked.

She giggled. "Maybe." She then yawned. "I'm tired."

"Me too, Ray-chan. It's been a long day." He then walked back up the stairs and into their room. He laid her down onto their bed, and he laid down thereafter.

"Hey, Kurin-kun?" She called out.

"Yeah?" He said.

"I know we can't do 'that' yet, but can we at least cuddle?" She asked.

"Of course." With that, she went and leaned her back onto Kurin's chest, and he then snaked his arms around her body, hugging her and pulling her closer to him, his head nuzzling her neck.

"Hey... Raynare?"

"Yeah, Kurin?"

"I love you. You know that, right?"

"Of course I do, you know. You're an idiot sometimes, but you're my idiot. My kind, sweet, lovable idiot. No matter how many times you need me to know, I'll always say: I love you too. Now let's get to sleep."

* * *

 **AN: Finally, the second chapter's here! With my main story done, I can now focus on this story, along with _The Darkness and_ Light, so maybe I might alternate chapter releases between the , Issei will not be in the story in any way whatsoever. Also, one change I've made is that Kiba is a girl now. Everything else in this chapter is just having what happened in the day after the first chapter, with Kurin and Raynare's inclusion into the ORC. ****And I'm pretty sure this chapter bumps the story to an M rating now. The best I can probably write is just limes (mild kind of limes) for now. Though tell me what you thought of the chapter overall. I'd really love to hear your thoughts on it.**

 **Here's the harem list so far, in no particular order: Raynare, Rias, Akeno, Sona, Koneko, Kuroka, Serafall, Yumi (Fem!Kiba)**

 **I'm a bit torn on whether I should include Grayfia or not. Who else should I include? Just give me suggestions, and I'll consider.**

 **Thanks for reading, and I'll see you all next chapter!**


	3. Asia and The First Contract

The next few days were more of the same as the first day they joined the club. They (well, mostly just Kurin, with Raynare's assistance) handed out the flyers containing the Gremory circle to various humans. And then in one of those days, they received a request. While Raynare went to get an update on her mission, Kurin went to the club to formally work on the request given to him.

"It seems I have a request, Rias-chan." Kurin said, entering the club room.

"Ah, your very first one, I see. Let's see if your power's enough to handle the circle." Rias said, leading him to the magic circle in the club room. He then stood in the middle of it.

"Ready when you are, Rias-chan." He said.

Rias gave him a thumbs up, the go signal that the circle was ready. "Have fun, Kurin-kun." She said.

The circle below him glowed and soon enough he was gone.

"You don't regret it, do you, buchou?" Akeno said, entering the room.

"What do you mean, Akeno?" She asked.

"Letting him be with us. He's human. He can sense us. And...he can sense my..." The raven-haired Queen turned away, unwilling to let her best friend see her tears. If Kurin could sense the true nature of those around him, then surely by then (no, for a long time now) he was able to sense her as a half-fallen-half-devil, and she knew he'd be disgusted by her. He must've been. There was no way he was still this kind to her even after a year. Surely he was just hiding it for so long now, right? With him now in their world, it would've been the perfect time for him to show what he truly felt. There was no way he was not disgusted by her...heritage. Kind on the outside he may be, she knew that he hated her on the inside. She felt that she had no place in his heart. She felt that anyone else who loved him deserved his love more than her. She felt that she was trash.

There was no way he could love her, just as she realized her love for him.

Before more depressing thoughts could add to her mindset, she felt the embrace of her redheaded King and best friend.

"Akeno, I know what you're thinking, and he doesn't think of you that way at all. If anything, he enjoys being with you too. I can feel it from him. I don't regret him being in our world. He may be human, as much as I have a slight dislike for that, but I still accepted him and his decision. Who am I to be someone who would deny him something like that after being given so much kindness for so long now, even for a human?" She explained. Seeing the unsure expression of her Queen's face, she gave a small smile in response. "If you're still unsure, then find the time to talk to him. I'll bet that what I said is true."

"I only hope so, buchou. But, I'm going to take your advice and talk to him personally." Akeno said. Then she gave a small chuckle all of a sudden. "Ah, I see now."

To Rias, the sudden change in attitude unnerved her. That meant that she must've found out something about her plans. "What are you talking about, Akeno?" She asked.

"You're planning to use him to hopefully escape the marriage contract with Riser. But with him being human, your desire to do so has become much more difficult to achieve." She said in a teasing manner. She knew of her King's hatred of the marriage contract, and coupled with her liking of Kurin, to her, she knew exactly what her intentions are. Though the only thing that Rias could not control is Kurin's own say on the matter. That, and his girlfriend too, though on a minor level compared to the human himself.

Still, she tried to save face on that matter. "You can't be serious. I've already resigned to that idea. No matter what, I have no choice but to be married to Riser to continue my legacy." She said.

"Ufufufufu, are you really believing yourself in these words, Rias? You want him to save you from that fate. Oh how you dream of it. He's certainly the ideal man for you, that's for sure. At least more so than Riser, though many would be better than him."

"Akeno!"

"What? I'm just saying the truth. You want Kurin to save you. But for now..." Akeno pulled away from their embrace, chuckling as she did, patting her King's head, making her pout cutely "Ara ara, let's not think about that at the moment. We have other issues to attend to."

* * *

The glow on the circle faded, and Kurin found himself standing in another person's home. Sitting across him was an incredibly attractive woman who looked a few years older than him. She didn't have much makeup, but that didn't matter in the slightest, as it more or less just enhanced her natural beauty. She wore a shirt that wasn't covering much of her midriff, and she also wore tight pants that clearly accentuated her legs. Her smile was alluring, her long violet hair was stunning, the glasses made her look more stunning, and the best part was that she just decided to look her best. After all, a first impression leaves a mark. Kurin wasn't entranced by her, but certainly he felt some sort of attraction.

"Did I make you wait too long, miss?" Kurin politely asked, offering a smile of his own. Almost instantly she felt his charm. She knew she was going to like this person.

' _Polite and good-looking. It seems I got a keeper.'_ She thought, internally smirking. She shook her head. "Oh no, certainly not at all. In fact, you were here in time."

"Ah, good. I hoped that was the case. I certainly didn't want to be late for my first contract, and I'm glad that I wasn't late." He said. "What's your request?" He asked.

"Nothing too difficult for a first contract, if that's what you're thinking. I only need your help in baking some pastries." She said, standing up and walking to the kitchen. He followed her.

"Well, you should know, I did some good cookies and cakes and stuff, well according to my classmates they were good, anyways. I think we'll do just fine, miss. But, before we start, can I ask for your name?" He said.

"Of course. It's Orchintia. Orchintia Anthivale."

* * *

After a few hours of baking and resting (in which the two conversed mostly about each other, and Kurin learned much about his first contractor), the young human was now ready to leave, at the door with a paper bag of cupcakes in hand.

"Will this be a weekly thing, Orchintia-san?" He asked.

The woman placed a finger below her chin, as if to think. "Quite possibly, Kurin. You've done really well for today. Though I wish that you do not tell this to your superiors, if you have any. Know that I'll probably ask for another day with you. Oh, and before you leave..." With rapid finger gestures, Kurin's wrist was written in glowing invisible markings, which then soon disappeared into his wrist. "There. That way I can contact you for another time. Thank you for today, Kurin-kun. You've done this woman a huge favor." She said.

Kurin smiled. "Of course, Orchintia-san. Anything to help. And I hope we do meet again. It was fun too." The woman smiled back and nodded, closing the door after.

Once the door closed, Orchintia leaned back as if panting. She slightly collapsed, sitting against the door. "Kurin Salamencia...he's...interesting, to say the least. He holds something, but I cannot seem to determine what that is. Charming young man. Though I must keep my distance, lest I stray from my path..."

As Kurin walked away from the woman's house, he looked back at the wrist with the markings.

' _Orchintia Anthivale...I wonder what secrets do you hide from me...and the marking on my wrist...Sellorion, can you check for anything I should be worried about?'_

 **[Already did, Kurin. There's no hidden feature or anomaly in the marking. It's really just a communication marking. It works like a phone. If that Orchintia woman contacts you, then that's all she just wants. She merely wants to converse with you.]**

' _Alright, thanks. I only needed to be sure. I'll honor her request for now, about not telling this to them, just to see where this goes._ _Right, time to rest a bit more. Maybe the park will help.'_

Minutes later, he was sitting on one of the park benches, taking a bite at a cupcake that he and Orchintia baked. _'_ _These are pretty good, actually. Never thought I'd find someone who's as good as me.'_

He sighed. Sellorion knew what he was thinking.

 **[Not bad for your first contract. There have been others who have had worse. In a sense, you got lucky. Plus, that woman, her intentions and hidden agenda aside, was charmed by you. Definitely, she holds some sort of interest in you. Not to mention-]**

' _Not this again.'_ He thought. The entity just laughed at him.

 **[Whether you like it or not, kid, you'll have to just get used to it. But knowing you, you can handle it.]**

' _You'd better help me with this shit, Sellorion. You know this better than I do.'_ He said to him, resigned to the words of the entity.

 **[Ah, you'll see soon enough. And you'll thank me for it.]** Sellorion said back, his presence in Kurin's mind fading.

"Perverted entities and their desires...and why does he even want me to have a harem or something...never will know..." Kurin muttered. His thoughts were interrupted as he then heard the sound of someone crashing to the ground. He reacted quickly to the sound, coming over to the individual: a blond girl, who is also a nun, carrying a suitcase.

"Are you okay?" He asked, offering his hand, the girl speaking as he did. At first, he didn't understand what she said, but then he realized that he can also speak in the same language as her, so he asked her again. This time, she seems to have understood.

"Ah, thank you." She said. He (unfortunately) noticed the panties she was wearing, and he blushed a light red.

His thoughts are a different story, however:

' _Seriously, what kind of dress code does the church have? Doesn't this girl realize that her skirt is too short for people to notice her panties? Wait why am I even...'_

He turned away from her to avoid letting her see his redness and saw a headdress. He surmised that it must've belonged to the girl. He picked it up and handed it to her.

"Is this yours?" He asked.

"Ah, yes!" She graciously took it and wore it over her head. She nodded in joy as she beamed at him. "Thank you so much!"

"No problem. You seem to be new here. And...didn't you have a suitcase with you?" He said to her. She widened her eyes and turned to see her stuff in the suitcase sprawled out. She quickly went and gathered them back. Kurin however saw one of her undergarments and blushed again.

"Er..." He trailed as he picked it up and awkwardly gave it to her. She saw what he was holding and looked shocked and embarrassed. She hastily took it back and put it back in her suitcase, apologizing as she did. Once she was done, she stood back up to face him.

"Hehehe, sorry that you had to see that. That was a bad side of me..." She said.

' _I wonder now, did the church give her that skirt or did she pick it herself?'_ He deadpanned to himself. "Eh, I guess it's okay. You're new here, it seems."

"Yes, I am, actually. I've been appointed to this city's church, though it seems I got lost. Also, it takes a little bit getting used to the language here, so I couldn't be able to ask for directions."

"Ahhh, I see. Lucky for you, I know just the way to get there. Is it alright if I take you there, then?"

The girl smiled widely. "Oh thank you thank you! Praise the Lord for this kind individual!"

Kurin smiled. "Let's get going, then."

Before they did, though, the boy was unexpectedly hit on the shoulder by a long sharp glass shard, penetrating through said shoulder and through the back. He collapsed to the ground, holding the wounded body part in pain.

"Damn it...this again..." He muttered. The girl gasped in shock and knelt beside him near his wound.

"Oh no! I better do this fast and-" Before she could finish her sentence Kurin yanked the glass shard out of his shoulder, yelling in pain as he did.

"What are you doing?! You'll bleed faster!" She said.

"I'll...be...fine..." He said, gasping and slowly losing consciousness and growing delirious.

"Ah! I will not let this happen!" Her hands glowed and she placed them over the shoulder. Despite the delirium, Kurin could see what she was doing.

' _That's...isn't that a Sacred Gear?'_ He thought. Seconds later, she removed her hands over his wound, now gone as if nothing pierced through him. His consciousness was also returning. He sat up and looked at her in surprise.

"You should be okay now. I made sure that nothing was left of your wound." She said.

"Thanks, I guess." He said. They then noticed some people looking at them, specifically at the girl. Their eyes conveyed different intensities, but they showed dislike all the same.

"Get going everyone. Don't all of you have something to do today?" Kurin asked aloud. He noticed the downcast expression of his newfound friend and immediately did what he did to make her feel comfortable.

"It's okay. I've fairly gotten used to those stares. People disliking me, it's a common occurrence for me now." She said. _'But even here...it all seems to be the same...except for him.'_

He slung an arm around her shoulder and kept her close. "But only because they couldn't understand. That glow...it's some sort of healing, isn't it?"

"Hai. This power...I believe it was granted to me by God." She looked happy. He saw that and smiled at the cute expression she held.

"Alright, let's get going. Oh wait! Almost forgot my cupcakes!"

They eventually arrived at their destination. The church was fairly normal when compared to other churches, but that is to be expected. Still, it was pretty impressive to look at.

"Well, we're here." Kurin said.

"Oh this makes me so glad! Thank you so much! How can I repay you for helping me get here?" She bowed to him, standing up a few moments later.

"Well, to be honest, you already did, when you healed me of my shoulder wound."

"Awww, but is there any other way I can repay you?"

"Well...how about we just meet again at a different day, alright?"

She beamed at that. "Okay! I'd be happy to see you again, er...what's your name?" She sheepishly said, hand at the top of her head.

"Kurin Salamencia. I didn't catch yours either too."

"I'm Asia Argento! You can call me Asia."

"Alright, Asia. We'll see each other again soon. I'll be off. And good luck with your assignment!" He waved off, leaving the church.

"Thank you once again, Kurin-san!" She waved back. _'He's so nice...'_

* * *

"Ah, Kurin-kun, good to see you again. I assume you finished your first contract?" Rias asked. He nodded.

"Really easy of a contract, by the way. Is this how these contracts go?"

"There's only one other kind of contract aside from these kinds of requests. They're those kind of lewd contracts that can only be handled by special ones."

"Ah...weird. But then again, it's in our nature."

"And it's not in my nature to wait this long!" Kurin was tackled from behind by an energetic Raynare, who was now sitting on his waist.

"Sorry it took me so long, Ray-chan." He apologized. She only giggled in reply.

"Of course it's forgiven, Kurin-kun. It's your first contract." She said and kissed him, and he happily returned the favor. All the while Rias was watching them make out in envy, which didn't go unnoticed by Raynare. When she pulled away from Kurin, she looked at Rias with a smirk.

"You can join us if you like." She said. Both were surprised, to say the least, and were as red as Rias's hair.

"W-what?!" They both said. She shrugged.

"What? It's not like I ain't sharing him. He loves you too, you know."

"Errr, not that way, Rias-chan! Ray-chan's a bit loopy at the moment so-" He was silenced with another kiss.

"Awww, it's alright. It'd be selfish of me to keep you all to myself, so I'm fine with what you do." She said.

Inside his mind, he could hear Sellorion chuckling.

 **[Told you.]**

' _Shut up.'_

"Ara ara, can I join in?" A new voice entered the room, and Kurin looked up to see Akeno.

"You can!" Raynare said, laughing.

' _Oh gods not her too...'_ Sellorion laughed at the (un)fortunate predicament of his vessel.

* * *

"Right then, how did your first contract go?" After the little event, the four of them were now sitting across each other in the room.

"It went amazingly well. It seems my contractor was an aspiring baker, and she wanted some help. She didn't know I was also a good baker myself, so we had tons of fun. Here, I got cupcakes to show it." He took out the cupcakes from the bag and gave each one to the girls.

"It's really good! And it's blueberry too, so that adds up." Rias said, with the two girls agreeing.

"After that, I went to the park before going here, and that's where I met this nun named Asia Argento. She was a nun assigned to the church here in the city, and apparently she got lost. She also spoke in a different language, but luckily I understood it and spoke it too. I escorted her to the church." He continued. At the mention of the nun's name, Raynare's eyes lit up. Rias was about to say something, but stopped herself from doing so.

' _I almost forgot that he's human. He isn't going to get those annoying headaches. And...I'm actually thankful this one time that he's still human, surprisingly.'_

"Also, she had some sort of Sacred Gear where she heals people of their wounds. I saw it when I got stabbed in the shoulder and she cleared up the wound like it was nothing. Amazing, to say the least."

That surprised the two devils. They had slightly widened their eyes. He didn't focus on them, however, as he turned to the fallen angel when he noticed her eyes look around. He comfortingly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Raynare? What is it?" He asked, looking at her in concern. She looked around before eventually turning to him.

"We need to be somewhere quiet. I need to talk to you." She said, standing up and walking out of the room. He looked at the two girls, and they both nodded at him. Giving a nod of his own, he stood up and walked out of the room, where he found her by the exit of the old building.

"Something tells me that you've got something big to tell me." He said.

"And you'd be right. Asia...it's her." She said. At first, Kurin didn't understand what she meant until he remembered what she said to him about her mission a few days back.

" _We were supposed to get a Sacred Gear. But... You'll find out in the next coming days, I promise."_

"You're kidding." He said. She sadly shook her head.

"You know what the consequences for the owner of the Sacred Gear having that removed from their body, right?" He asked. She nodded.

"Which is why I need you to stop us."

"Stop you guys from what?" Yumi appeared out of nowhere, startling the couple.

"Ah, it's just you, Yumi-chan. You scared us there for a second." Kurin said.

"Ehehehe, sorry. But what was it about stopping you?" Yumi said.

"We'll explain sometime soon." Raynare said.

She looked at them in suspicion, but eventually shrugged and smiled. "Hey, if you need help, you can count on us." She said, leaving the two after.

"When will it happen, Raynare? When will the ritual happen?" He asked her.

"I don't know. Dohnaseek refuses to tell us anything." She said, covering her arms. He noticed the gesture.

"Ray-chan, are you okay?" He said.

"Huh? Oh, yes, I'm alright. Just...a bit tired, is all." When she had unfortunately pressed on a certain spot on her arm, she gasped in pain. Kurin's eyes slightly grew wide. He went closer to her, lightly caressing her arm so that she won't be in pain as he held her.

"Ray-chan, please. Tell me what's wrong. It's alright." He said to her.

After moments of hesitation, she released her hold on her arm and rolled up both sleeves. There, Kurin saw bruises on her arms, and most of them were really bad.

"Did he do this?" He asked, with such calmness it scared her.

"Y-yes...but-" He silenced her with a peck on her lips.

"It's okay. We're gonna make him pay, and we'll save Asia. I promise that."

Something bothered Raynare, though. She was surprised at him not blowing his lid off like many other humans. "How...how are you so calm? Normally, a guy who sees this will be in so much anger at seeing their lover like this. Why are you so calm?"

"Don't worry about that. You may not see it, but I am angry. I just manage it better, but believe me when I say I'm gonna kick your leader's ass to the curb, but I can't do it without you. We do this together."

"I hope you can save her. She doesn't deserve this."

"I promise."

The two were then approached by Rias and Akeno.

"We've been given an order from the archduke. We're to deal with a stray devil."

* * *

Now the entire club was waiting outside a house where the stray devil was.

"The evil piece system...while I admire the work done by Ajuka-sama, there are still some flaws that I can see." Kurin said, looking at the door of the house.

"Hm? What kind of flaws?" Rias asked.

"Well, for one, it doesn't allow those who don't like to be their servant to their King to freely leave without being brandished as a stray devil, like this one. While those who've killed their master are beyond redemption, I feel like the servants have to at least be given a chance to choose. Ah, I do have to ask." He turned to the rest of the members. "You're all okay with being Rias's servant, right?" All he got were nods, and he was satisfied that they didn't have any desire to leave Rias.

"Right, back to topic. There has to be like...I don't know, a cancel order. But of course, they have to notify their master. Either way, the master has no choice but to honor that request of leave. It's only in the true will of the servant if they want to return to the same master." He further explained.

"Hmmm...that does actually hold good argument." Rias said. They then walked inside the house.

"Buchou, as a Fallen, I really don't understand much of the system the devils have. Would it be alright if you could explain?" Raynare asked.

"Of course, Raynare. We'll begin with this brief history summary: after the last Great War, all sides had numerous casualties, and for us, a lot of the pure-blooded families were extinct. We didn't have enough forces to rally another war, thank goodness, and so to restrengthen our numbers, we started a process to train certain devils into elite status, which is called the Evil Pieces system. And as Kurin said, Ajuka Beelzebub, one of the Four Great Maou, was the one who created this system. Now, do you have any idea what chess is?"

"Yes, actually. I once played it with Azazel-sama whenever he came to check on all of us. Of course, he won most of the time. I couldn't really match up to him, but I did learn."

"Then you'll see that the evil piece system is modeled after chess." Kurin said, surprising Rias. When he noticed her surprise, he said to her, "As I've said, I know much."

They all walked through the hallway and checked each of the doors stationed, while the two continued their explanation, beginning with Kurin. "So, since you know the pieces, then you know the pieces in chess are the King, Queen, Knight-"

" **-Rook, Bishop, and Pawn. Each type has its own traits."**

"Because of that, each devil undergoes specific training depending on what their type of piece is. Though I don't like that they mostly specialize in a few skills, those same few skills are their strongest, just like in chess."

" **The system has become so popular to the point that the 'peerages' as they are called are being used in strength competitions, which are called 'Rating Games' between noble devils."**

"Rating Games are like chess, only, it's a battle-oriented type of chess, where even the attacker or invader may lose against the defender, and your pieces are your servants, and you are also a part of those pieces, if you own one, as King."

" **It's gotten to the point that it can influence a devil's position and their ranks in nobility. What started as a system to replenish the losses from the war had grown into a form of entertainment, a method of rising through the ranks, and most of all, resolve peace in our own world. Now, while it would be great if we participate in one, we're still quite inexperienced, and I haven't been considered as a mature devil yet."**

"Even in the Rating Game, there's certain requirements you must fulfill before becoming qualified to participate in them."

The two finished their full explanation as they opened the last door at the end, and it left Raynare slightly dazed from the two's fast-paced speaking, but she fully understood them nonetheless.

"Blood. And a whole lot of other scents. It seems our target's here." Rias said.

"It seems I have fresh meat..." They heard a voice resonate in the room.

"We know you're here. I suggest you come out now, Vizor. We're here to destroy you!" Rias said.

The stray devil, Vizor, appeared as instructed, wielding two spears along with the top half of a corpse thrown their way, in which everyone avoided.

"I like your hair. And your flesh, it's red, just like the blood I've consumed... and my hunger is still not sated."

"So this is a stray devil..." Raynare muttered.

"Enough. Let's get this over with." Rias said.

"Hmph, how arrogant, little girl. How should I kill you? By ripping apart your body or slicing it to bits and-" The stray devil's statement was interrupted when she got kicked to the head courtesy of the human, causing her to collapse to the ground.

"Aaargh! How dare you! And a human at that!" Vizor said, getting up quickly.

"We're not here to play games." Kurin said.

"You'll pay for that!" Charging at Kurin, the stray devil tried to attack, and Kurin avoided her attacks.

"Right, then. Yumi!" Rias instructed.

"Of course!" Yumi went ahead and faced the stray.

"Right, then, Raynare. Yumi's role is the Knight. Knights specialize in weapons and physical attacks." The two watched as Yumi slashed Vizor with scintillating strikes, while Kurin continued to be the bait as he dodged her attacks.

Yumi landed on the floor, swords on hand. Vizor saw this as an opportunity and proceeded to step on the swordswoman.

"Koneko, you're up."

"No need to tell me twice." The white-haired devil ran towards Yumi just as the stray nearly crushed Yumi with her foot. Koneko held against the foot and pushed her off the ground with ease.

"Koneko's role is the Rook. Rooks specialize in physical strength and defense, making them perfect tanks against strong attacks. And as you saw there..." The devil's tail struck against Koneko, but she held onto it and threw her overhead. "...those kinds of attacks are useless against her."

Koneko went and punched the underside of Vizor, sending her crashing to the ground. The stray was surprised, to say the least. "To think these...youngsters could outdo me..."

"Hmph. Weak." Koneko said.

"Last, but not the least, Akeno."

Raynare looked at Akeno, and she was slightly unnerved by the amount of giddiness she was showing.

"Of course, Buchou. Now, tell me, how should I maximize the pain I'm about to give you?" Akeno turned to the downed stray, and lightning crackled from her hand, sending it down.

Vizor screamed in pain, and Akeno reveled in it. "It seems it's not enough. How about more then~"

"Akeno's role is the Queen. Queens, much like in chess where it is the most powerful piece among them, have the abilities of the Rook, Knight, Bishop, and Pawn. Akeno, while being my Queen, prefers using magic power as her main attack." Rias continued. Kurin landed next to her and his girlfriend.

"And it seems she's quite the sadist too." Kurin noted, seeing the pleasured look in her face.

"And a bit scary too." Raynare said.

"Not to worry, though. She's quite gentle with her allies." Yumi said.

Kurin chuckled. "Heh. Not much to worry about her, then, so long as we don't get on her bad side."

"I'm done Buchou~ but oh, it seems like my attacks still aren't enough. Take this last one, Buchou." Akeno said, marveling at her work.

"Let me, instead, Rias-chan." Kurin said. Rias turned to him.

"Why, though?"

"You haven't even seen a glimpse of my abilities. Just watch." A blue aura soon appeared on the human, and he approached the recovering devil. The aura was so powerful that it made everyone in the room feel uneasy, and they all wondered how much power did the human actually have.

"Sad to see you like this, hm?" He asked.

"Don't even pity me, human. To think I'd be dealt with such trash...you might as well kill me now to get it done with." She said, utterly resigned at this point.

Kurin grinned. "Hmph. That kind of attitude _will_ get you killed. Maybe some time off will help you develop. You'll learn eventually, but enough is enough." His right hand glowed with blue energy.

"By the power of remorse, begone and goodbye." He snapped his fingers, and then an explosion occurred, leaving only blue smoke and no trace of the devil.

He turned to them, dusting his hands off, watching the agape looks on their faces. "Alright, maybe that isn't much as I had said, but you'll see soon enough. Now...are there any questions?"

No one spoke, but soon enough someone did, and that was Raynare, who realized that they had missed or skipped over a few pieces in their explanation. "Err, what do the Pawns and Bishops do?"

* * *

When the stray devil opened her eyes, she found herself back in the underworld, somewhere in an empty field. "He...let me live?" She said to herself. She looked at her legs and there were only two legs there. "And my body...it's normal again...and my piece..." Vizor turned to her side, and saw her piece, the knight piece, lying on the ground. She had a look that could be described as a combination of relief, freedom, joy, and at the same time, sadness. "He freed me of my pain..."

The devil slowly stood up. Thankful for the human who let her live, the now former stray devil soon walked back to where she could find a new home with her piece. She may not know what her future holds her, but she will not forget the individual who showed her mercy just for once in her miserable life.

* * *

 **AN: I've been drawing nothing but blanks for _The Darkness and Light_** _,_ **so I might as well type out the next chapter for this story. I've given thought about some of the other picks for Kurin's harem, and here's the updated list of the confirmed ones, based on everyone's reviews (and my own thoughts on one not mentioned) before this chapter was put up:**

 **Raynare, Rias, Akeno, Sona, Koneko, Kuroka, Serafall, Yumi, Kalawarner, Xenovia, Tsubaki, Asia**

 **Unsure of putting them in:**

 **Grayfia, Ravel, Irina, Seekvaira, Yasaka, Rossweise, Yubelluna, Mittelt, Katerea,** **Bennia, Elmenhilde, Roygun, Ophis**

 **Some of the others I'm not too sure of putting them in the harem yet because I feel it's a bit too early to consider adding them in yet, with their appearances coming in arcs far from the very beginning, but I'm definitely putting them into consideration. I'm still thinking about putting Grayfia in, but your input will definitely help, so please send your reviews.**

 **As for Kurin saving Vizor, he's really more of the epitome of mercy, as he gives a lot of people a second chance. Even as a human, he's different from others. Other than that, that's possibly the last appearance of the stray devil. And you'll all learn more soon enough about who the mysterious and alluring Orchintia is.**

 **Now, I've been debating this since I made this story, but should Kurin have a peerage? I'm probably gonna put up this question until after the Excalibur arc, and then I'll determine from there whether he should.**

 **I hope you all loved this chapter as much as me writing it. I had a blast. I'll probably work on the next one immediately after, but it's late, and I've been very much sleep-deprived. But I'll be sure to get the next one as fast as I can. Review! Make sure to tell me all your thoughts about this chapter. And I'll see you all next update!**


	4. One Day to Three Days

"So, I heard you're a part of the Occult Research Club now. Check." Kurin moved his pawn to block the queen's attack.

"Yeah. Been a bit of a while now since that day. Sorry that I forgot to tell you that, Sona-chan." She moved her knight in position. Kurin positioned his rook in response.

"Ne, I only wished that you told me in person instead."

"I know, and I apologize for not telling you sooner."

Student Council President (and High-Class Devil) Sona Shitori, real name Sona Sitri, was not one to be put off-guard when playing chess. But against her close friend Kurin, it always felt like as though it was a war. Both have played against each other so much and so well that they've seen the other's strategies, and almost every time, they've found a way to counter and retaliate. The few times they didn't was when one of them had brief mental lapses, and as a result fell prey to the other's strategy.

Her next move was now a risky one. Her queen is in danger of capture by the rook that Kurin just placed. Capture it or escape from it, she would leave her king open to another check in his next move, and she had no support to protect it, as her bishops were out of position. Both her rooks were gone. Kurin still had five pawns, and one of each special piece, save for his queen, which was captured in a clever play by the Sitri heiress earlier. She meanwhile had her queen, both bishops, one knight, and four pawns, one of which was teetering dangerously close to promotion.

Her mind set, she put his king back in check by capturing the pawn blocking his king with her queen.

"Check, Kurin-kun." She said.

Now it was Kurin who was stumped, but he quickly reacted and moved away his king. Sona lowered her queen to capture.

"Checkmate."

"Wrong move, Sona-chan." Kurin moved his bishop to capture her queen.

Sona gasped. "No..." She said, downcast, not realizing the other pieces on the board. She took a long look at the field and examined her thoughts.

' _How could I have not noticed the bishop? I should've used my knight to capture it first...no, I still have my other pieces, but, it all looks so dire for me-'_

"I surrender." He said all of a sudden, surprising the council president and causing her to look at him.

"W-what?" She stammered. "What are you talking about? You had me there! You took my queen!"

"True, but your pawn would then move to promote it back to queen in your next move. Plus, your knight is in perfect position to trap me behind my pawns. While you made a mistake by being over-aggressive with your queen, you were still able to provide support for future moves. Not to mention, with your queen gone, my rook has become useless at this point, as it will take me at least two moves to get to where I want it to be. By the look on your face, pretty much what I said is true, and you would've thought of those in the heat of our battle." He explained, and he was right. She never would've, what with her queen in danger and all, with several of her other pieces taken. She won, but she didn't know how close she was and how far ahead she really was, and it took her chess rival for her to see that.

"That's seventy-three to seventy-one now." He said, clearing away the board. "You're really catching up now. That's seven wins in a row for you against me."

' _That may be the case, but all of them ended the same way like this game. After a big play that seems to have signaled the endgame for me, you surrender. And you've been able to think of strategies I never would've thought. Are you...are you really that much better against me?'_ She thought as she watched him set the field back up again.

Her eyes flared, and she felt a bit mad. "Mou! Will you ever let me win for once?! And I mean by you not surrendering?"

"Well, how about another game, then? I'm not gonna say surrender this time." He offered.

She shrugged after a few moments of staring. "Do you promise?"

He laughed at that. "Come on, Sona-chan! Do you think me of all people would break a promise?" He advanced his knight. "Your move, Sona-chan."

"Check..." She moved her pawn to finally trap his king. She looked at the board in surprise.

"...mate. You win, Sona." He smiled at her victory, in which she finally achieved on her own after quite some time. She smiled back and adjusted her glasses.

"It as a good game. Thank you." She said.

"Good game, indeed. Seventy-three to seventy-two. And it's no problem."

The young woman felt her heart skip a beat. She was close. Close to determining if he really as the person meant for her. That, and she felt so much relief and joy on winning without him surrendering like that, but she knew it'll take a while before either of them would submit to the other as the better player.

It made both of them remember the first time they met. Rias introduced him to her as her childhood friend. Almost immediately he felt that he didn't like her too much due to her coldness (at least at first) and her arrogance when she challenged him to play chess sometime later that day. She wondered what was it about him that made Rias gain an interest in him, and she'd gauge that through a game of chess. One she thought she'd win easily.

Kurin won their game after a total of twenty-five moves. Needless to say, Sona could not accept the loss easily. No way could she accept that someone like him beat her. So she challenged him again.

This time, she won, but only after a total of seventy-eight moves. That day was the beginning of how their chess rivalry and her interest in him began as well. It was a fond memory both loved.

Before either could speak up, they noticed Rias enter their room.

"Am I interrupting something?"She asked. Both shook their heads. "Are you sure? It seems as though you were both staring at each other for sometime now." She said and smiled teasingly.

Both were silent, eyes wide, blushing as they looked back at each other. "Uhhhhhhh, ummmm...did we really..." Kurin said.

"I think we have..." Sona replied.

Rias chuckled. "Anyways, you have a contract up, Kurin-kun. Would you want to use the circle to get there faster?"

Kurin shook his head. "No, maybe not this time. I'm gonna go walk there, kinda to clear my head." He accepted the contract paper from the club president and left the room. Once he was gone, the redhead turned to her childhood friend.

"So...you too?" She asked.

"What are you talking about?" Sona responded.

"You know what I mean."

* * *

 _ **[Yo, kid, I got a question.]**_ The gruff voice of the embodiment of Undying Remorse called out.

' _Hit me, Sel.'_ Kurin responded.

 _ **[If the Gear allowed it, would you be willing to be a part of Rias's peerage?]**_

The boy was silent. He was resigned to the fact that he will never be a devil because the Sacred Gear wouldn't allow it, and he knew that it was never going to change. Still, he thought it would be cool to be one, but he preferred to be human. And of course he would've loved to be a part of her peerage.

' _To be part of her peerage, yeah, I would be. To be a devil, maybe not so much.'_ Kurin gave his answer.

 _ **[I see. Interesting.]**_

As Kurin walked inside the house where his contractor was, he immediately had an ominous feeling that something wasn't right. The door was left wide open. There were signs of struggle. He could smell blood.

' _Do you sense it too?'_ He asked in his mind.

 _ **[Yeah. Tread carefully, kid. Who knows what's happened and what's lurking here.]**_ Sellorion advised.

Walking into the main room, the smell of blood was even stronger to him now. He turned to the side and saw a corpse with its body nailed to the wall in a crucifix.

' _An inverse crucifix? And on the floor...it's the flier.'_ He went and picked up the flier. It was smeared in blood. He crumpled it. _'Damn it...someone killed him before I even left.'_

"Well well, it looks like my intended victim has arrived!" Kurin heard a cheery voice behind him. He turned to see an individual wearing a predominantly white outfit, with a black undershirt, and a cross.

' _That's priest garb. No, wait, it's exorcist garb. Why the hell would an exorcist kill a-oh, right. But this one's off.'_

Then the most unbelievable thing (at the moment) happened. The exorcist...began to sing. He was singing how he was going to kill him while laughing as he did. Kurin shuddered in his mind, as did Sellorion.

He stopped and leaned closer to Kurin's face. "I'm Father Freed Sellzen, little devil. And it's my job to destroy evil beings such as you. Oh, but don't mistake it for belief in God. I simply just want to kill, kill, kill! Now, you're probably wondering why I killed this so-called 'innocent' person as you believed him to be. He's taken up your help multiple times, so to me, that means he's nothing but shit. So I killed him! It was fun hearing his screams as he called for help, specifically you guys. Now, shitty devil, how should I kill-" He was cut off when the boy suddenly struck with a headbutt.

"Are you finished?" Kurin asked. He got shot in the eye for his statement. He fell to the ground.

"You really are trash. I saved them from being corrupted even more, you know! Now you had to die so quickly due to your insolence." Freed said, walking over to the boy's unmoving body. He crouched down, grinning madly. "I actually didn't think killing a devil would be this easy-!"

To his surprise, he found himself being choked by the (supposed) devil he (supposedly) killed. He was then pushed off of him forcefully, causing him to collide with the wall.

"First, that did shit to me." Kurin said, standing up, bullet dissolving, due to the fact that it was a light-based bullet. Since it only worked on devils, it didn't do him any damage at all. "Second, I'm gonna make you pay for needlessly killing a human." He approached the exorcist, who was pinned to the wall. He reared back his fist, aiming at his face. "Third...I'm human, damn it!" His punch was blocked by his gun, and Freed then swung with his sword. Kurin jumped back.

"You...you're actually a human? Well, that makes it even worse, then! Now I'm really gonna kill ya!"

' _This dude is outright insane. Not the kind of person to keep alive for longer.'_ He thought.

Freed swung again, but Asia appeared and put herself in front of him, slashing through her clothing as a result. Kurin widened his eyes in shock, while Freed recoiled his blade to avoid cutting her in two.

' _What the?! Asia?! What the hell is she doing here?!'_

"The fuck?! You could've been cut in half! Are you finished with the trap, Asia?" Freed said.

"Stop this! You're not going to hurt Kurin-san anymore!"

"Wait, you know this dumb fool?" He asked and then grinned. "This is a stunning turn of events, now eh? I thought romance between a devil and a nun is taboo in this world."

"Kurin-san...is a devil?" Asia asked in surprise.

"Ah, no, he's not. However, he's a servant of the devils, but that's worse for me!" He said.

Asia then noticed the corpse and covered her mouth, aghast at the display. She shrieked in terror.

"Don't tell me this is the first time you've seen a corpse. But anyways, this is the fate that will befall all those who are entranced by devils. They're an unneeded presence in our world. They'll be sent to hell like the manner I've done to this unfortunate soul."

"No...there's no way..." Asia mumbled.

"Don't you get it? It's people like that person you just protected that need to die. Otherwise...we would never be able to fulfill our mission. Now, be a good nun and go back to position to deploy the trap...please."

Asia, however, did not follow the exorcist's words, placing herself in front of Kurin to protect him.

"Asia..." Kurin said.

"You're kidding me." Freed said, scratching his head with his gun. "Do you actually have an idea what you're DOING RIGHT NOW?! This is tantamount to being a traitor!"

"I understand what you're saying, Father Freed. But please let him go!" She defiantly said. "He may be a servant of the devils, and he was entranced by them...that's no reason to go and kill the devils and the humans who ask for them!"

Freed was stumped. He absolutely did not expect this defiance from the nun. _'Goddamn this human.'_ He grew angry and grabbed Asia by her collar. "Did you learn anything from your stupid church, you shitty nun?! ALL DEVILS ARE SHIT!"

"NO! There's still good in them!" Asia argued, tears welling up.

' _Asia...she still believes in the good of everyone...'_ Kurin thought.

"NO, THERE'S NOT YOU STUPID IDIOT!" He yelled in her face.

"Still...he may be human, and he's serving them, Kurin-san is still a good person! He's the same person I've met that day! And killing is an unforgivable sin! Lord...the Lord doesn't allow this to happen-"

She got slapped upside with Freed's gun, sending her to the floor. "ASIA!" Kurin yelled out.

Freed grabbed her from her back and planted the gun on her chest, his eyes locked onto the human student. "While I'm specifically told not to kill you, you insolent girl...that doesn't mean I can't do anything else to you like, say...something similar to rape now, hm?" He said, as Asia panted from the force of the strike.

All of a sudden, Freed was blown back by Kurin, who kicked him at his head.

"That's enough. I'm not going to let you hurt Asia-chan." He said, his body now glowing blue. He turned his head towards the girl.

"Asia-chan...I appreciate you trying to protect me, so thank you." He said, smiling. He turned back to Freed, eyes hardened. "But now it's my turn to protect you."

"Ah, looks like you have a death wish, then. LET ME FULFILL IT FOR YOU!" He took out a glowing sword, ready for a vicious fight. He leaped towards his opponent and swung forward.

Kurin smirked. "You have no idea." He then conjured a pair of cyan-colored spiked gauntlets, resisting Freed's strike. Kurin swung under and punched him across his torso, sending him through the room again.

Before either could attack again, though, a magic pentagram appeared on the floor, glowing red.

' _So it seems that they're here.'_

"What the hell?!" Freed could only say in surprise, having never seen a magic pentagram before.

On the pentagram, three individuals appeared.

"Yumi, Akeno, Koneko." Kurin remarked.

"We're here to help, Kurin-kun." Yumi said.

"I thought it'd be a bad situation for you, considering you are up against an exorcist, but it seems you're holding yourself pretty nicely." Akeno said.

Koneko said nothing, blankly staring at him.

"Leave everything to us." Akeno said. "I wonder how we should deal with him..."

Freed wasted no time. "I'll cut all of you to bits!" His attack was met with Yumi's sword.

"Hmph, with the way you swing that sword so carelessly, it's a wonder you're still an exorcist." The swordsmistress noted.

"Does it look like I give a shit? As long as I get to kill, that's great!" Both recoiled, but Yumi recovered faster and swung, and Freed dodged back.

"Then I give my apologies. I will not let you kill Kurin-kun here."

"HAHA! Oh this is hilarious! Relationship stuff and shit?! No wonder!"

"There's no denying it. You are a stray exorcist."

"HAHAHAHA! SO WHAT?! As long as I kill all of you, I'll be fine, and my bloodlust is sated! I'm under the Fallen Angel's protection anyway!"

"Not in here you would be." Kurin jumped from behind Yumi and punched Freed in the face, dropping his swords.

' _Fucking...human! Three times! I'll make him die the slowest.'_ Freed thought as he was sent back crashing to the wall. Again.

"He's one of those kinds." Akeno noted.

"Kind of exorcist?" Kurin asked, to which she nodded.

"Stray exorcists are excommunicated due to the excitement and joy they get out of hunting and executing devils. And it seems this exorcist is the most dangerous one we've encountered so far." She explained.

"HAHAHAHA! You're only getting that now?! No use wasting my time to reason with these shits. I'm gonna kill all of you and be off my merry way!"

"Even devils have rules, you know."

Freed shrugged. "That doesn't excuse you trash." Then he grinned like a madman.

"If that's the case, then maybe I should turn you to nothing." Rias entered the fray, and Freed looked at the redhead confused.

"Another one? You all seem to be just popping up one at a time. So, can you all get in line so that I can finish my job now?" Freed received a punch to the face for that. "I'll let that one slide." He said.

Rias walked over to Kurin. "Kurin-kun, I am so sorry. I didn't think an exorcist would turn up in the house of the summoner of the contract. Are you hurt?" Rias said.

"Well, other than the fact that I got shot in the eye..." That stirred gasps from almost everyone. "I'm alright. I got back at him anyway." Rias nodded and turned to the insane exorcist.

"I cannot allow you to get away harming my...friend." Rias said, almost saying that Kurin was her 'underling' and remembering that he wasn't, biting back that word.

"And what are you gonna do about it, lowly devil?" Freed mockingly asked. For that, Rias blasted the wall that was mere millimeters away from his head.

"Oh. So that's how." He looked stunned. He turned behind him to see the extent of the damage.

"What the hell?! Couldn't you have just shot him in the legs or something?!" Kurin said to Rias.

"I can't. It might be a problem for us in the future if I crippled him now. We need to know more." She explained.

"Rias! There seems to be a group of Fallen Angels coming his way! We can't stay here for long!" Akeno said. Freed's joy only furthered that statement's truth.

"Get the teleportation circle ready!" Rias instructed.

"Yes!" The three girls said.

"If that's the case, then we need to take Asia with us!" Kurin said, rushing over to the nun.

"I'm sorry, Kurin, but my pentagram only works on my underling devils. And that includes you, but I had to make changes for that to happen." Rias said.

"Can you make a similar case for her now?!" He asked, desperate. "I refuse to leave her here!"

"Kurin-san...it's okay." Asia said.

"No, it's absolutely not." He rebutted.

"I'll be alright." She said.

"Kurin, they don't have any reason for them to kill her. They need her alive for something. They have a plan, and it would be a waste for them to kill her so soon." Rias said. "Right now, we have to retreat. Even with your powers."

"Buchou, the teleportation circle is done! We can leave!" Akeno said, the pentagram glowing.

"I will not let that happen!" Freed said, only for a couch to be thrown towards him courtesy of Koneko.

"Promise me, Asia-chan. Promise me that we will see each other again." Kurin said, taking her hand and placing it over his heart.

"I...I promise." She said.

Kurin smiled and hugged her. "I'll be back. More than you know it." He released her and turned to the others. "Let's go!" They all headed for the circle. Kurin looked at Asia, and she smiled back at him. Seconds later, they all disappeared.

The Fallen Angels arrived a few minutes later.

Dohnaseek, the Fallen wearing a suit and fedora, surveyed the area. "It seems there was a fight here." He noticed Freed unconscious underneath the couch and Asia, panting heavily. Raynare, Mittelt, and Kalawarner, her close friends, quickly went over to her.

"Asia-san! Are you okay?" Raynare asked.

"I'm...I'm okay. It's only some bruises, that's all." She said.

"Hmmm, somehow things went out of hand because someone interfered, and the trap wasn't even used. We'll need to move even faster now, lest the devils find out what we're doing." Dohnaseek said. He turned to the three. "Move out, and wake up that exorcist. His job is not yet finished."

* * *

The club all appeared from the pentagram...though not where Akeno had intended for them to go to. Instead of their main club room, they all landed in Kurin's house.

"Wha...where are we?" Akeno asked. "This isn't the place where I wanted us to go..."

"That's because this is my house. I left the flier you guys gave me weeks ago here, and it must've reacted to it." Kurin said, surprising everyone.

"This is your house? But...why does it feel so...empty? It's like you're the only one who lives here." Rias said.

"That's because I am the only one who lives here."

"Where are your parents, then?" Koneko asked.

"Ah, good question." He said, walking past them and lying down on the bed.

"They're dead."

That drew wide eyes and looks of surprise. Just when they think they know him, they find more questions about him than ever before with new information coming to light. First with the Sacred Gear, and now something as personal as this. Kurin just kept surprising them, and sometimes not in the good way, but not through any fault of his own. He was simply dealt with the hands given to him. They all realized that there was more to him than they realized.

Rias walked closer to him, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"If you're gonna say what I think you're gonna say, there's no need. It's been about twelve years since I lost them. I've gotten over it a long time ago as well." He said, turning away from them. "If you guys want to crash for the night here, then be my guest. It's a long night."

None of them knew what to say after that. All the girls looked at each other and nodded to themselves. Koneko and Yumi went to see the whole house, while Rias and Akeno stayed with Kurin in his room.

Not too long after, a certain Fallen arrived. But the silence was enough for her to discern what happened. She knew days ago what they had just known now.

 _ **[It's gonna be alright, kid. You guys will save Asia. I just know it.]**_ Sellorion said.

' _They're planning something. Or at least, their leader is. It's clear that Raynare's heart isn't in it. If we don't find out why in the next few days, I will seriously begin to worry. Not like I haven't already.'_ Kurin thought. He then felt her presence.

"Ray-chan?" He said, turning back towards her.

"I'm here, Kurin-kun. I'm here." She said, embracing him.

"You weren't hurt, were you?"

"No, luckily I wasn't. We just moved away to another location. We have one day to three days before Asia dies."

"Is she alright?"

"Don't worry. She's safe for now. But if you guys don't act...she will not have long...and war may break out if they succeed."

Rias and Akeno looked at each other. "We'll think about it." Rias said.

"While you two decide...regardless of your decision, I will go on and save her myself." Kurin said.

"You can't!" Rias and Raynare said.

"Why the fuck not?!" He said, turning to Rias first. "I'm not a devil." He turned to Raynare. "And certainly you haven't told your superior that I'm alive, since you 'killed' me. I have the element of surprise, and I'm expendable."

He got slapped by his girlfriend and close friend.

"Don't ever say that you're expendable!" They both said.

"Except I am! I can die and be resurrected over and over again! I'm human! They don't expect much from humans! They don't know the extent of my powers! And you guys don't know it either! I'm human, yeah, but don't fucking underestimate me as if I'm so fragile!" He said. He gasped and covered his mouth. He had never been this angry before. He narrowed his eyes.

"I need to go outside and clear my head. Again. This has been a long night indeed." He opened the window and jumped out. The two tried to chase after him but were stopped by Akeno.

"Leave him be. He needs this." She explained.

* * *

He didn't appear back in the house the next day. He was instead venting it in the park all through the night. And he still was doing so as the sun came up.

 _ **[Kid, stop. You're gonna burn out if you keep doing this.]**_ Sellorion said.

' _No. Not at least until I've vented out all of my anger. They make assumptions like that as if I'm not strong enough? Bullshit! They don't know about me, or the extent of what I can do.'_ He said.

 _ **[You're not helping their case either by not even showing them what you can do. As much as even I don't like what they've said, they're right. If you keep thinking that you're expendable because you can return to life numerous times, that's not being expendable. That's being wasteful.]**_

' _Not that it matters.'_

 _ **[But it does! You've become so resigned to dying a lot of times and coming back to life that you can't even take care of yourself! You know, maybe that's part of why they died! And that's why you never got over it!]**_

' _SHUT UP!'_ He kicked the metal support of the park's monkey bars so hard that it made a dent. _'Damn it...do you really want to go to that conversation again?'_

 _ **[Truthfully, no. But listen to yourself. Do you really think you're expendable by dying and coming back? And in this case, coming to save Asia by yourself?]**_

' _I...no.'_ He collapsed to the ground, feeling exhaustion. _'I want to save Asia. If I have to do it alone...I'm gonna die again if I do. I'm going to need their help. But what if Rias refuses to?'_

 _ **[That's not what she's going to do.]**_

' _How do you know?'_

 _ **[Trust me on this. She'll make the right decision. Oh, I think someone's coming. It's Asia!]**_

' _Asia's here?'_

"Kurin-san?" The nun called out, looking down at his face.

"Asia...oh!" He stood up. "What happened after we left? Are you alright?"

"Yes, don't worry. Lady Raynare and the Fallen Angels arrived a bit after. We moved to another location...but I don't know where." She said.

"I see. Well...how do I explain this...I don't feel alright." He said.

"What do you mean?"

"I...kinda got angry. Unnecessarily so. But you're here, so it's all good. Why don't we hang out for the day? Are you alright with that?"

Asia beamed. "Sure! Maybe it'll help take off that anger you have."

"Let's hope."

"Um, Kurin-san, how do you eat this?" She held out a burger in front of him.

"Here, you just hold it in your hands and take a bite. That's how you eat a hamburger." He showed her how, and she followed. After biting a piece, she let out a hum of joy.

"Ooooohh, it's so tasty!" She said. Kurin laughed.

"Glad you liked it."

They ate their lunch after. Asia saw a gaming place and was curious, so she motioned Kurin to look. "Ah, let's go to that place!"

"Of course." As they walked there, Kurin placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Have you been sheltered your entire life, Asia-chan?" He asked.

Asia walked in silence, seemingly ignoring his question. "...It's a long story, Kurin-san. I want to enjoy this day for now. I will answer that question later, so wait for just a little longer."

"Ah, I understand. So, is there anything you want here?"

"Oh thank you so much, Kurin! I'll treasure this toy as a remembrance of today!" Asia said, hugging the new toy she was given by him. It took him a few tries, but he managed to get the toy she wanted.

"It's no problem." He said, smiling.

"Oh, what's that?" She asked, pointing to a photo booth, to which he explained. He encouraged her to go and take pictures of the two of them. She happily agreed, and soon enough they left the arcade with pictures, stopping back at the park to rest.

"You looked really cute in these pics." He said. She blushed red.

"Mouuuuu, this is so embarrassing~" She said, covering her face. Kurin laughed.

"Awww, you really are cute, you know." He patted her head. Surprisingly enough, she leaned to him, clearly liking the gesture.

"What made you so angry earlier today?" She asked.

"Agh, don't worry. It's just a falling out. I just wanted to vent my anger somewhere else. I didn't want them to see me like this. I don't become so angry all of a sudden. I never became so angry before. But...they haven't seen me, you know? What I can do, that is. I get that they're worried, but they have to trust me a little more." He explained.

"It's okay. We all get those feelings of anger sometimes. I'm lucky that the Lord guides me to release that anger peacefully. What about you?"

"I...don't follow."

"What do you mean?" Understandably, she didn't understand the meaning of his words at first.

"You'll understand soon enough. Now, what's your story?"

What followed was a sad narration of her life. She was abandoned by her parents at a young age, leaving her in the care of the orphanage of the church she was taught in. She discovered her powers when she was eight. When the church found out, they deemed it as a miracle, and she was revered as a saint. Soon after, people sought Asia and the church's aid, and she happily obliged. However, with the adoration and (in a sense) local fame came loneliness, and she never found a true genuine person who was willing to be her friend for who she really was.

Then it all went downhill one day when she used her powers to heal a devil on the verge of death by the hands of an exorcist. Instead of being grateful and just escaping, the devil killed the exorcist and ran. Upon finding out, the same people who once revered her now berated and insulted her, branding her as a heretic. This led to her expulsion. Shortly thereafter, a Fallen Angel came and took her under her wing.

* * *

" _Hey, are you alright?" Raynare asked the despairing nun. All she could hear are cries. Taking pity on her, she took her and flew away, heading back to their base in the area._

" _What the hell is this, Raynare? You know we can't take humans in our care." Kalawarner said._

" _I know, but I couldn't just leave her there. Where the hell is Dohnaseek? He should've been back by now." The ravenette Fallen inquired._

" _Apologies for my lateness. But I have new orders from higher-ups. The girl that I saw you take? It seems she's now integral to the mission." The male Fallen said, arriving and storing his wings._

 _The two Fallen women turned to each other in worry._

* * *

"I...just wanted friends. I wanted a normal life. To go do things that friends do. Go shopping, have fun in parks, those kinds of stuff." She ended her narration, wiping the tears that leaked out.

Kurin helped wipe those tears away. "Asia-chan...you already have a friend. Isn't what we did friendship enough? And...if you've already met Raynare, then I'm pretty sure she would love to be your friend as well."

"You think so?" She said, showing a hopeful smile.

"Apologies, but that could not be possible." A new voice was heard, and both turned to see the sharply dressed Fallen Angel. Both recognized who he was.

"Dohnaseek-sama..." Asia said.

His stony eyes looked at the two. "This isn't personal. I'm only doing this to fulfill the mission. If there was any other way, I would've taken it. But I have no choice." Dohnaseek said.

"That still doesn't excuse you from what you're going to do." He said. He jumped towards him, curved blades in hand. "I'll stop you!"

The Fallen simply flew away to avoid the attack and reacted with shooting Kurin with a light spear. "You...you're the one Raynare said she 'killed'. But she lied." He struck him again with a light spear, impaling him through the chest. "I'll do what she was supposed to do. But she will have to face the consequences for purposely lying on her report."

"Kurin-san!" Asia said, rushing over to him. "Hold on!" Quickly using her powers, she healed him of his wounds.

"The power of Twilight Healing...it's no wonder why we need it. I see why now." He said. "Asia-san...you have to leave this boy behind, or else I _will_ kill him."

"NOT A CHANCE!" Kurin said, only to be shot with another spear.

"Kurin-san, stop! Okay, I'll go!" Asia said.

"Wha—Asia-chan, no!" He said, crawling despite the wounds. She turned back to him and smiled.

"I had fun today. I will cherish this day forever with you...Kurin-kun. Thank you for fulfilling my wishes...to have a friend and to do things friends do." She said.

"Asia, stop! Please!" He said.

The Fallen held Asia once in range. "I didn't think you'd comply so easily. But in any case...it will be over soon enough, once the ritual is over." He closed his eyes. "If only there was some other way...but I must do what my leader desires."

"Damn it! I'm gonna get you back, Asia! Know that!" Kurin said.

"Goodbye, Kurin-kun." She said, wiping the tears on her face.

Kurin's vision began to darken. The last thing he saw was Dohnaseek and Asia flying away.

"Asia..." He croaked, before suddenly feeling pain shoot through his chest again. He realized that another light spear stabbed through his heart. Asia was too far away to notice, but it was obvious.

Kurin's dead.

* * *

 **AN: I didn't expect a lot of reviews and a lot of people liking this story (and I don't get much from some of my other stories), but I'm grateful for them. I appreciate each one given. Probably starting next chapter, I'm gonna start replying to all of the reviews made when this chapter is released. Still, here are some:**

 **I've changed the summary so that it's grammatically correct, as one reviewer pointed out, thank you very much for that.** **Kurin's gonna stay human for the entire story. I'll find my ways in some problems it'll come up with him not becoming a Devil, don't worry.** **It's probably 85% sure, but I don't think I'm gonna write any lemons in this story. Also, I'm gonna put up this story in Archive of Our Own soon.**

 **So, death number two. Will we expect Kurin to die many times over the course of this story? I can't say for sure.**

 **Updated (confirmed) list, in no order:**

 **Raynare, Rias, Akeno, Sona, Koneko, Kuroka, Serafall, Yumi, Kalawarner, Xenovia, Tsubaki, Asia, Grayfia, Ravel, Seekvaira**

 **So, as you can see, I've added Grayfia to the list. I think it'll be fun to write her character interacting with Kurin. I'm still unsure if Kurin should have a peerage, so please, if you want him to have one or not, let me know in the reviews below along with your thoughts on the chapter.**

 **Next chapter's gonna be the end of this arc, and Kurin's fight! I'll see you all next update!**


	5. The Fallen's Last Fall

**As I've said previously, I'll respond to the reviews sent to me.**

 **adislt: Well, I plan to rectify that issue. He's really strong. I do apologize with the inconsistency of showcasing Kurin's powers. But I hope the story from this point forward will be to your delight. At some points I may diverge from canon, but the path overall is similar. Asfor Grayfia, I have plans to make it possible, so be patient.**

 **Tohka123: Thank you! Well he deserved it, in a way. You'll find out more about him as the story progresses.**

 **darkwarp: Tiamat...I'll think about it. Thanks for the suggestion.**

 **Guest: Hmm, alright, looks like I got an input for the peerage question. I do want to know why, though.**

 **TheLastNanaya: I'll be honest, it's hard to maintain focus on each girl in the harem. I think adding all of them would be overwhelming for me to do. Instead of that, just suggest who you would want to add to the harem, and I'll give it thought.**

 **godzillafan1 (Guest): Well, I got no words to say. I do appreciate it, though.**

 **Alright, that's enough for now. Check the notes at the end of the chapter for more. Now get to reading.**

* * *

When Kurin woke up from death, he realized quickly that he wasn't in the park anymore. Rather, he was in someone's house.

' _Okay, clearly someone took me in their home from where I last died. But who?'_ He thought as he looked around the room he was in. It was pretty cozy for a bedroom. The bed was comfortable, the walls were clean...everything was clearly set up in case someone decided to stay in the owner's house.

' _Wait a second...I know who lives here. It's-'_ His thoughts were interrupted when someone opened the door and entered the room, currently speaking to someone on the phone.

"Yes, I'm still with the plan. I'll get back to you later." Having ended the conversation, the individual looked to see Kurin sitting up. She gave him a smile. "Ah, Kurin-san. You're awake."

"Orchintia-san. I can't say I'm surprised." He said. "The communication circle on my arm is still there, isn't it?"

"Of course. As I said, this isn't just a one-time thing between us. I decided to use the circle to remind you of our encounter tomorrow, but you didn't answer. So I went to look for you. It's also how I was able to find you and get you back to my place. I cleaned you up of your wounds and bleeding once I got you home. You're lucky that you didn't die."

"Yeah, I guess." He lied. He didn't want her to know that he had actually died and was brought back to life. He was still suspicious of the woman, sensing something in her, and thus kept his distance.

"But enough of that. What were you doing bleeding to near-death in the park in the first place?"

"Nothing to worry about. It's an accident, and I just happened to be a bit unlucky. Though...thanks for patching me up." He stood up. She stopped him from walking any further in the room. Concern washed over her face.

"Wait, wait, are you sure that you've recovered enough? You nearly died, after all."

He shook his head. "I'm good. What time is it?"

"Five in the afternoon, why?" Kurin placed a hand on his head in pain. The sudden headache made it hard for him to concentrate.

"Ugh...as if staying up the entire night wasn't enough and that I nearly died earlier...no, I have to leave." He pushed past her and walked out of the room. She followed in pursuit.

"Kurin, wait." She called out.

He turned towards her. "Orchintia-san, with all due respect, I appreciate your help. And I understand that we have our meeting up again in two days. Don't worry about me. Rest assured, I'll be fine." He turned back to the door. "I'll see you soon, Orchintia-san."

With that, he opened the door and left, leaving a deeply concerned woman behind, wondering if his words will ring true, considering how serious his wounds were.

Of course, she doesn't know what he hides inside...yet.

* * *

Kurin arrived at his house, climbing up the window. No one was there, even Raynare.

' _They're not here...maybe they're at the old school building. And where's Raynare?'_ He thought, exiting the house again and running to the old school building. Once there, he broke through the door, to the surprise of Koneko, who was sitting on the couch.

"Senpai?" She asked.

"Oh, hey Koneko." He said. He looked back at the door and then back towards her. "Sorry about the door. I'll pay the replacement for it."

Just then, Rias walked in. "Oh, hey Kurin." Rias said, before looking up at him in surprise. "KURIN!" She embraced him, before being followed up by Akeno, who embraced him as well, this time from behind.

"Gah, hey there, you two." While surprised by the gesture, he quickly hugged them back. When Rias released him from her hug, she smiled at him.

Then she slapped him, much harder than last time.

"Okay, I think I deserved that." He said, holding his cheek.

Akeno simply grazed her palm on his cheek, making him shiver involuntarily. "Ufufufu, it'll be alright. Rias was simply worried for you. So worried that she couldn't sleep the entire night. So did your girlfriend."

"Akenooooo!" Rias shrieked in surprise and embarrassment, blushing red.

He didn't know that him leaving had affected the two so much. "Did I really make you worry so much? I'm sorry." He sighed. "Akeno, please let go first."

Luckily for him, she complied.

"Where were you?" Rias asked.

"I was out in the park." He replied.

"All night?"

He nodded. "I was just...so angry, at you two, for thinking I couldn't hold my own. I went there to vent. And it took me all night. Eventually, morning came, and then that's when all the exhaustion finally unloaded on me. Asia then found me, and we hung out. Then, soon after...a Fallen, the leader of Raynare's group, took her...and I died." He explained.

A heavy air of silence swept across the room. Everyone (save for Kurin himself, as he already had known) realized that they would have to get used to him dying every now and then. But he eased their hearts with a smile. "It took me a while, but I woke up. And now I'm here with you guys."

The smile didn't last long, however, as it faded to a frown. "But now onto more pressing matters. If we don't save Asia tonight, _she will die_. There's a ritual that's gonna take place at the church, and if they, or he, is successful, then her Sacred Gear will be forcefully removed from her body." He warned. "Please, Rias, have you decided?" He pleaded.

Unfortunately, she did not respond, looking down instead. He took this as a sign that she wasn't willing to fight to save Asia. "I understand. It's a risk for you to fight them, as it may trigger war." He said, approaching her and placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him. He smiled. "No matter how many times I die, I'm gonna get Asia back. I promise you I'll come back to you with her." He lowered his hand and moved past them. He blazed out of the building.

"Kurin, wait!" Rias called out, turning back to where he went, but by then he was gone. She turned to her peerage. All of them had varying looks of concern.

"What do we do now, buchou?" Yumi asked.

Nightfall was fast approaching, and the redhead has to make a decision before it was too late.

* * *

Under the light of the full moon, Kurin stood on the roof of the church. Taking deep breaths, he jumped down to the main doors and kicked it open. There, he saw Freed waiting, the insanity rolling off of him, grinning as usual. The blade was in hand

"Finally! Took you long enough. Shall we—HRRK!" Kurin wasted no time, sending an uppercut to devastating effect, slamming upwards to the ceiling, the blade no longer in his hand. Gravity followed, but the young man grabbed him by the neck. Freed looked into his eyes, and he saw them behold a fury he had never seen before, but at the same time he had never seen eyes that look so calm in spite of the fury. The grip on his neck was strong too.

"I'm not here to play games, Freed. Where. Is. Asia?!" He threw him back down. The rogue exorcist was coughing and clutching his neck after the suffocation he suffered, dragging himself away from him.

' _He's human like me...but how the fuck is he so strong?!'_ Freed thought, struggling to catch his breath. When he looked up, he saw the pointed end of a sword aimed at his eyes. He quickly backed away, getting to his sword.

"You're not getting any shit from me until I kill you!" He roared, slicing through the church seat that was just thrown at him. He slashed downwards, only to be met with the gauntlets from before. He repeated the motion again, and Kurin would always block them. It was clear that he was running out of options. Desperate, he took out his pistol and fired it multiple times, hitting the body, but to no effect. Kurin took the gun and threw it away with his other hand.

"Did you learn anything the last time we faced off?" He asked the insane man. He didn't speak, headbutting him instead. He recoiled and dropped his guard. Freed saw the opening and furiously attacked. But instead of defending, Kurin attacked head-on, punching the sword. The clash resulted in both being blown away. Kurin was the first to recover much quicker.

But he knew he didn't have much time. Glowing blue, he sensed a trap door, dashed past Freed in a blur, dazing and stunning him, and blasted his way through the door.

Freed, meanwhile, took this as the time to leave his superior to his devices. He was done with his mission, and there was nothing else he could do at that point. Besides...he'll have his chance to get his revenge on him very soon. _'Kurin Salamencia...I will have my revenge, and you will be destroyed! Hahahahahaha!'_ He thought.

"It seems you're here in time, though you should've been dead." Dohnaseek said, staring at the calm yet furious boy. Standing between him and Asia are rogue exorcists.

"I don't die so easily."

' _How ironic I said that.'_ / _ **[How ironic you said that.]**_ Both human and embodiment thought in agreement.

"Regardless, it's too late. The ritual is almost complete. And what my master desires is almost fulfilled." He said.

"Hey, he's here to interrupt the ceremony! We can't let him!" One of the guarding exorcists said. "HRAAAAAAAGH!" They ran charging towards him.

"Not letting you hurt my friend!" The sudden voice surprised Kurin, as he recognized it easily. He turned behind him.

"Yumi-chan. Koneko-chan. You both came." He said, smiling. "But...where's Rias and Akeno...and Raynare?"

* * *

"Hey." Rias called out. Raynare looked up at her.

"B-buchou?" Raynare called back. She was held behind a prison, including her companions Kalawarner and Mittelt. Rias gave a smile.

"I wouldn't leave my underlings behind, even if you're a Fallen. Now stand back." Raynare followed as instructed. Rias's body glowed red, and sent a powerful blast at the cage bars, disintegrating it. The three exited their prison.

"Thank you...for saving us. But...who are you?" Kalawarner asked.

"I'm Rias Gremory." Her answer shocked the two companions.

"Th-th-th...the Gremory heiress?!" Kalawarner said, aghast.

Of course, most knew about the heir to the Gremory family. She held a power not many have outside her family, and she was a respected member in the devil world, being the sister of one of the most powerful devils in the world. To Kalawarner and Mittelt, she was someone they cannot face and win, for if they do...they will most assuredly die. And that's not even getting to her older sibling...

"This...this was a mistake...attacking not just a devil territory... _their_ territory." Mittelt said. Both bowed.

"Forgive us!" They said.

"Ara ara, I've never seen this before. Interesting." Akeno said.

"As much as we would like to talk more, and as much as I'd love to see you two grovel more, hehehehe, we must head back to the church." Raynare said. The other two Fallen stood up to their feet. All of the others nodded, and they flew off.

He heard the screams. He saw the Sacred Gear being forcefully removed. He saw the Fallen Angel look at the suffering girl stoically, showing no emotion. He saw him take the Gear in his hands and keep it safe, but not in his body. He then noticed the screams stop. He realized what had happened. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He reined in his anger, though, still holding himself calm with a fire in his eyes.

"I'm coming for you, you bastard." He pointed at Dohnaseek.

"Try if you want. It will be futile." He said.

Kurin summoned two red armblades, ready for the fight. Yumi and Koneko fought off the exorcists. He noticed that with them diverting the fight, he had a clear opening. With the same blue aura, he dashed up the staircase to Asia's crucified form.

"I may as well release her. She has outlived her usefulness in my mission." He said, destroying the chains. Kurin caught her as she fell.

"Don't you ever say that Asia-chan's useless." He turned to the girl. "Asia-chan? Please...if you can hear me..."

"K-Kurin...kun..." Asia gravelly said.

"I'm here, Asia..." He lightly caressed her face. She gave a faint smile.

"It...hurts..." She said, coughing. Koneko and Yumi finished off the remaining exorcists, putting them down, and looked up.

"No..." Both said.

"Shhhh, shhh, it's gonna be okay..." He said. He silently took her and carried her up.

Dohnaseek looked at the exiting Kurin with the same expression as before. _'If I were to fulfill my mission...I have to end him.'_

"If only...if only...you didn't have to suffer..." Kurin said.

"It's okay...I enjoyed...our time together..." She said, raising her hand to lightly touch his face.

"No...don't say that as if you're...gonna..." He trailed off, a tear escaping his cheek. He took her hand in his.

"Kurin-kun...thank you..." Her eyes closed, and her hand felt devoid of life.

"Goodbye...Asia-chan..." He cradled her body in grief.

"And goodbye to you as well...human." Dohnaseek threw the light spear at the grieving boy...

...Only for it to be destroyed with three light spears.

"What the..." He (and Kurin) turned to look at the door.

"Gremory-san...Kalawarner...Mittelt...Raynare...so you three have escaped with the heir's assistance."

"You never told us that we were on Rias Gremory's territory!" Kalawarner said.

"Because I knew that you would back off when you would learn that particular information." He said. And they wouldn't deny that.

"You...you never were getting orders from Azazel-sama, weren't you?" Raynare asked.

"I never followed him in the first place. It was all a front. But I do follow a different commander." He explained.

"You're gonna fucking pay for Asia's death!" Raynare exclaimed.

What no one noticed, though, was Kurin...shivering.

"S-S-S-S-Sel?" He asked aloud, body trembling. "Wh-wh-why is m-m-m-my b-b-body s-s-s-s-so...c-c-c-c-cold?!"

 _ **[No...no no no...oh no...it's happening again...]**_ Sellorion murmured in shock.

' _Wh-what are you...'_ A flash of memories appeared. _'Oh shit...'_

"Cold...cold...cold...cold...so...cold..." Ice began to form around him...

"Something's not right with Kurin-kun..." Akeno said. Yumi and Koneko arrived upside.

"Kurin-kun! I'm coming!" Raynare said, running to him.

He was hyperventilating, the cold beginning to truly overcome him...until he couldn't resist anymore.

"Haaahh...haaaahhh...hahhhh...hahhh...AHHHHHHHH ICE BLAST!" The entire church was frozen solid, but no one was harmed. That didn't mean that they didn't feel the blistering cold, though. A cold blue aura enveloped Kurin.

"Interesting...so it seems he has developed a new power..." Dohnaseek noted, but he was immediately struck by Kurin, an armblade slashing him on the side.

"You want to avenge your friend? So be it." The Fallen clashed with him, two light spears slashing against the armblades.

"Kurin, we can-" Rias tried to call to him, but she was interrupted by him.

"This is my fight, Rias. I'm responsible for this. I have to take the burden of Asia's death." He explained, blocking a spear throw and throwing it back at him, with him catching it with ease.

"So please...don't interfere...even you, Ray-chan."

Even though all of them wanted to, they honored his request.

Kurin nodded. "Thank you, everyone." He turned to the Fallen, who was now flying in the air.

"You and me, Dohnaseek. Let's finish this."

"I've been patient enough." The Fallen fired first.

Kurin's body glowed red. _'My mind may have clouded earlier because I wanted to protect Asia...and as a result forgetting to even use my powers...but now...it's because of her that I'm gonna go all-out.'_

 _ **[Avenge your friend, kiddo. Do everything you can.]**_

"I will." The red glow became brighter. "Cascading Fire!" Firing a tri-pronged beam, the red aura disappeared, and the beam transformed into flames that slowly grew in strength the farther it got. Dohnaseek blocked the fire with his arms. As he was distracted with blocking the flames, a set of energy spheres floated around his body. Each one circled around the Fallen.

"You're not gonna hurt anyone anymore. And you will not get away!" The surrounding spheres spun faster, and the spheres exploded. A big energy sphere formed itself from the resulting explosion, and another explosion followed after, blasting him upwards.

The Fallen recovered and fired off multiple light spears, and Kurin dodged and absorbed most of them. Suddenly both heard a scream, and they both turned to the source.

Kurin's aura faded. _'No...not again...'_ He thought. "RAYNARE!" One stray light spear somehow found itself plunged into her chest. She collapsed to the floor. The others tended to her. Tears were now streaming down his face and angrily turned to the Fallen, who had now realized his mistake.

"You're gonna get it now, you bastard." He said. He created a countless number of knives and fired them off at Dohnaseek at blinding speeds. He couldn't avoid all of them. He collapsed. Kurin created a few more knives and fired them off at certain areas to bind him down.

He slowly approached the downed Fallen.

"I may be an all too forgiving person, but the moment you killed Asia, you weren't gonna get any mercy from me. But hurting my girlfriend? You've all but made your death certain." He turned to the others. "How is she?"

"Despite being stabbed...it didn't pierce her heart." Akeno's words sent a wave of relief around Kurin. "But we can't remove the spear."

He turned back to Dohnaseek, who had two more light spears stabbed in his body, courtesy of Kalawarner and Mittelt. Rias also approached him.

"You've harmed one of my friends. I can't let you live either." Her body glowed like before, but Kurin stopped her.

"No. I'll do it myself." Now his body glowed a different kind of red, and Rias's body lost its red glow, surprising everyone. The last time he had done something like this was when he had banished Viser (without their knowledge), but this time, it seems that he was going to really kill him.

"Fallen Angel Dohnaseek...any last words?" He asked.

"Everything I've done...I've done for my master. Master Kokabiel..." He smirked, knowing full well what's going to happen next. "You're strong, kid. I have no regrets. Kill me if that is what you desire."

"So be it." He said. _'Kokabiel, eh...'_

"By the power of remorse, non-existent or otherwise, begone and goodbye...forever." He said. The area around Dohnaseek exploded, leaving nothing but a few blood trails and the Sacred Gear behind. He crouched and picked up the Gear.

"Twilight Healing...Rias, give this back to Asia...and do what you need to do. She deserved to at least keep the Gear until her death." He instructed. She nodded. He walked back to his girlfriend.

"Hey, Ray-chan." He said. She smiled back, though it didn't last because of the spear in her chest. "I'll cauterize the wound. So I'll need the others to remove the spear. But it'll hurt...twice." He said. "Ready when you are, Ray-chan." She weakly gave a thumbs up.

"Alright. Do it." They slowly removed the light spear, and Raynare screamed in agony. Once it was fully removed, Kurin's left hand glowed with fire. He brought it down to her wound, and her screams became louder. It pained him to hear her screams. The wound was now sealed to stop the bleeding.

"Can you stand?" He asked.

"I...I think I can." She said. He helped her up, but she grunted from the pain. He hugged her.

"It's over now."

"K-Kurin-kun? Raynare-san?"

All of them turned to the sound.

"Asia-chan?" The three Fallen Angels and Kurin walked over and hugged her. "Asia-chan! You're...you're alive!" Raynare said. Kurin was the first to break away as he turned to Rias.

"You revived her, didn't you?" He asked, smirking. She smirked back and nodded.

"Raynare-san, you're hurt! Here, let me heal you." Asia said, her hands over the Fallen's chest, healing her of her wound. Now, it was as if nothing happened to her.

"Thank you, Asia-chan!" Raynare said, hugging her.

"So, what now?" Koneko asked.

"I'll report back to Azazel-sama. He will need to know. I may come back, but I don't know. Raynare, Kalawarner, what about you guys?" Mittelt said.

"This is my home now. My home is with Kurin." Raynare said.

"I...think I'll stay." Kalawarner said, surprising them.

"Y-y-you are? Why?" Raynare asked.

"Admittedly, I don't really have a place there, except being with you guys. Now, maybe I can do something here." She explained.

"I see. I think Azazel-sama will understand." Mittelt said. Her wings then appeared. "I'll see you soon. Oh, and Kurin?" She asked.

"Yeah?"

"Protect the two of them."

He nodded, and the loli Fallen Angel flew off.

If there was one thing that everyone else realized from the battle that Kurin had, it was that he was more powerful than he let on before. That he had a multitude of abilities. That he wasn't just someone who dies and comes back to life multiple times. Dohnaseek had no chance of winning at all. He was someone you shouldn't get on his bad side, lest he may even _kill_ you in an instant. But none of them had any intention to do so, considering that most of them hold a level of affection to him, with the other Fallen Angel coming to terms with that very soon.

* * *

"Tiring..." Raynare said as they came back home. After the ordeal, they split, with Rias and her peerage (with Asia) heading back to the old school building, and Kurin with Raynare and Kalawarner heading to his house.

"Tell me about it. If I unlocked a new power, it automatically just depletes my magic energy, even when I use the abilities that I've had for a long time now." He explained. Raynare collapsed on the bed and Kurin followed. Kalawarner leaned on the doorway, smirking at the two.

"Nice to see you lovebirds together there." She said.

"Fuck off, Kalawarner." Raynare said, throwing a pillow at her, which she caught. She chuckled, throwing it back.

"I'll sleep at the guest room. Goodnight, you two." She said. "And Kurin?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

* * *

"Ah, so Dohnaseek has fallen. I've known that he was rogue for a while now, but to think that he followed Kokabiel..." The Fallen Angel leader said. Standing across him was Mittelt, who nodded.

"What will you do now, Azazel-sama? It's obvious to us now that Kokabiel's waiting for the right time to go rogue." Mittelt inquired.

Azazel paused, thinking. "As much as I would want to detain him for his insubordination, we have no concrete evidence to implicate him. We will have to watch him for now." He noticed the slightly fearful stare the short Fallen gave. He chuckled.

"No worries, Mittelt. I've known the change of heart Raynare had, and I know you and Kalawarner would follow her to the end. The three of you won't receive any punishment. Speaking of which, where are those two?"

"Raynare chose to stay on Earth. So did Kalawarner. I...would want to as well, but I feel that I have a duty to uphold. I may leave here and return to Earth once I fulfill it." She said.

"Is that what you feel, Mittelt?"

"Yes, Azazel-sama."

"Alright. I won't stop you. You can leave, Mittelt."

"Hai, Azazel-sama."

With the Fallen gone, Azazel looked out the window of his office. A ghost of a smirk crossed his face.

' _Kurin Salamencia...what an interesting boy. And his Sacred Gear...it's something I've never seen before. Not even my entire research covers what his Gear is. He's an enigma, a mystery. I'll pay the kid a visit soon. Something tells me this kid...is a catalyst. He will change everything.'_

* * *

"Crazy how everything in these past few days have happened." Kurin said, looking at Raynare.

She looked away from him. "Yeah...I almost lost two friends, I almost died, I almost-" He held her head and turned her to look at him.

"Now, now, don't think of it like that. I *officially* discovered that you're a Fallen, Asia's a Devil now, I got a new power, we'll be a lot more involved in the world of Devils, I feel, and best of all, we're in a relationship now. In a lot of ways, I think these past few days were the best of my life in a long time."

"When you think of it that way...yeah. You're right." She said. She then inched closer to kiss him, and he happily obliged to respond.

They pulled away soon after, with their foreheads touching. "I love you, Raynare. I'll stick by you forever."

"I love you too, Kurin. And I would do the same."

* * *

In the old school building, Rias was alone in the main room, her thoughts conflicted.

' _What can I do...to get myself out of my predicament...the engagement to Riser...'_

"Rias? Are you alright?" Akeno called out, entering the room.

"Oh, Akeno. I'm quite alright. It's just..." She tried to deny it, but Akeno wouldn't have any of it.

"You're thinking about the engagement again, aren't you? The days we have left are numbered. Will you really go through with your thoughts? Using Kurin like that?"

Her heart was conflicted. She knew that she'd, in a way, manipulate Kurin for her to escape the engagement that her parents made a long time ago. But that would mean that he'd be faithless to his girlfriend. And she'd be feeling very selfish for using him like that. True, devils still have a selfish-like nature in them, for the Gremory heiress, it'd hurt her to do this to him.

"What would he do?" She asked. "He's so unpredictable sometimes. Would he stay away from me if I'd do that? Would he do it, despite knowing that he'd...never mind that. Would he talk me out of it?"

"He'll know what to do when it happens, Rias. But I'm sure he's never going to stay away from you. He cares for you too much to do that. He'd hurt himself if he does." Akeno assured her.

"That's Kurin-kun for you. His heart is that big." Rias quipped.

"I wonder if there's enough space for me to fit inside his heart, after Raynare had claimed him...maybe you too, Rias...ufufufufu I'm sure there's enough for the three of us..." Akeno teased.

Rias blushed a furious red, much like her crimson hair. "Akenooooooooo!"

* * *

 **AN: And that ends the first arc of the story. I do apologize if the battle scenes were underwhelming. Those aspects aren't really my strongest suit. The next arc may begin either next chapter or two chapters after this.**

 **Effin' hell, school has messed me up a lot. Really stressed and really sleep-deprived. It's why I couldn't put up a chapter as quickly as I had done before. There was just too much work for me to focus on making the next chapter. Luckily, I had enough time to write up bit by bit. Well, at least exams are inching closer, and then I can freely write up more on Christmas break, but I do plan to write a chapter before that happens.**

 **Harem stays the same as before. Haven't added nor removed anyone yet at this point.**

 **82 favs and 104 alerts at this point. That makes me so happy. I love that a lot of people are interested in the story. Anyways, as usual, send me your reviews. While I know it's not possible that you'll write one for every chapter, each one is important to me. And again, do you think Kurin should have a peerage of his own? If you think he should or shouldn't, let me know in your review.**

 **Thanks for reading! I'll see you in my next update.**


	6. Before The Phoenix Storm

**AN: So, the new year's upon us. And I didn't go through with what I said last time. I apologize for that. Moving on...**

 **Review responses!**

 **Kreceir: Of course not. I'm not going to make him monologue about his powers because that would be stupid, as you said. And yeah, it'll be a surprise for sure.**

 **Derek 23: Maybe not. I'm not so good in writing lemons, so that's probably out of the equation. I'm only putting this rating up for some scenes, so I may scale it down again soon.**

 **TheLastNanaya: For some, I already have plans in mind.**

 **Tohka123: Thanks!**

* * *

Things were not looking good for Rias Gremory and her peerage. Or...what's left of it, at the very least. She was losing this Rating Game fast.

' _Oh no. Ria-tan...she's losing.'_ The Lucifer thought in worry. He turned to his queen. "Let's review the Rating Game before this possible final fight, Grayfia-chan." Sirzechs said.

Grayfia nodded. "As you wish, Sirzechs-sama." She then announced on the intercom, "On Riser Phenex's side, only his Queen, Yubelluna, and his last pawn, Ravel Phenex, remain. On Rias Gremory's side, the Bishop, Asia Argento, the Knight, Raynare, and the Pawn, Kurin Salamencia, remain. The last ones retired were Rias' knight, Yumi Kiba and her queen, Akeno Himejima, and Riser's pawns and knight. However, the odds of victory still go to Riser Phenex."

Upon hearing that, the arrogant young man smirked at his opposing King. "Did you hear that, Rias? Despite you having the numerical advantage, I still have the advantage in sheer power. And once this is done, this marriage will be fulfilled."

"Asia, stay behind me!" Rias instructed. She felt Asia's fear. Whether the redhead wanted to admit it or not, she was afraid as well.

Kurin meanwhile was watching them at the rooftops. His heart was pounding.

"DAMN IT!" He slammed his fist to the ground. He had almost no energy left. He stood up, his breathing returning to normal. "Raynare, provide diversion to his queen. I'm gonna do something crazy." He instructed.

After a few seconds of silence, he heard from her, "Okay, Kurin. I hope you know what you're doing." He heard wings blazing from the other end.

' _Sellorion...help me here. I'm getting desperate.'_ He said within himself.

 _ **[Are you sure? You've never tested this power yet. At least not against opposition like this.]**_ The embodiment asked, concerned. He knew what he was asking him for.

' _Did you not hear me the first time? I'm getting desperate! I can't let Rias lose!'_ He said to him.

Sellorion sighed. _**[Alright, kid. It's a risk, but since you really do want Rias to win...I hope things turn out well.]**_

Kurin's body glowed red on one side, and cyan on the other. Ravel noticed this.

"H-hey, what are you doing?! You're going to lose regardless!" She said.

He turned to the short blonde girl. "Something you've all never seen before." The glow became brighter. This did not go unnoticed by the two Kings on the roof, along with Asia.

"What is he doing?! Yubelluna, stop him!" Riser instructed to his queen. Before she could react, though, Raynare appeared, throwing a spear between the two.

"Sorry, Bomb Queen, but your focus is on me!" She said. "You're not gonna get to him unless you get past me!" Another spear was created, holding it firmly.

"Hmph, so be it." She said. The two flew off in the distance.

All the while, Rias was looking at the glowing human with worry. _'Kurin...you're really not giving up? Even when the odds look so bleak? Be careful...please.'_

' _Sellorion, how long can I hold this form?'_

 _ **[Fifteen minutes.]**_

With a defiant smirk on his face, he stated to him, _'More than long enough for one last desperation move.'_

The glow engulfed the entire field. Even those watching from the screens were shielding their eyes from the red/cyan light.

* * *

 _Twelve days ago..._

"Rias-chan, come on. You've been stressed out a lot this past week. Can't you at least tell me a hint of what's wrong?" Kurin asked. It hasn't gone unnoticed for the human on Rias's issues. She seemed more tired, slower. She looked worried like something terrible was going to happen to her. Of course, he tried to ease that away, but all he got from her was, "If only you understood." which of course, infuriated him, frustrated that he couldn't help her.

"Kurin-kun, you've tried asking her that for three days now. She's not going to budge if you force her to." Akeno said, entering the main room of the clubhouse. "Water, for both of you."

"Thank you, Akeno." Rias said, taking the glass. Kurin shook his head at the glass.

"Trust me, Kurin-kun. Be patient. Rias will eventually tell you." The queen advised.

"And I'm guessing if I asked you, you're not gonna give me the answer, correct?"

"You're catching on quickly. As I said, just wait. She will tell you."

He sighed. "Alright. Even though I don't exactly like it, but I'm willing to wait since this is for Rias-chan."

Rias smiled. "Thank you for understanding, Kurin-kun."

He nodded in response. "Anyways, I'll be going. I have something to attend to."

"Stay safe, Kurin." The two girls said. He walked out of the room.

Akeno checked outside the door to see if Kurin was out of earshot. Once confirming that he was, she closed the door, turning back to her King. "Will you tell him tonight? The meet-up is tomorrow." She asked. "Even I have to admit that he's right. You're stalling yourself from accepting whatever help he's offering. You _have_ to tell him tonight."

"I understand that, Akeno, but Kurin is still relatively new. There's no way he'll know what to do. And I'm unsure of how he'll react to my marriage contract with Riser." Rias calmly said.

"Forgive me for my language, but I call bullshit on that, Buchou. Let me explain: He's _known_ us for months, probably longer all the way back since the first time he's met us! If he's already known us for a long time, then he's probably studied on our world too, and that probably includes marriage contracts. He's able to get along with everyone so well. I mean look, he's dating a _Fallen_ for crying out loud, while being with us as his friends! And you've seen his dedication to saving Asia, and she's become a valuable friend and asset for us too. There's no way that you can't be able to refuse his help, and with what you're doing, it's not helping." Akeno vented, breathing slightly heavily after. Though she added, "I'm sorry, Buchou, but I think letting Kurin in on your marriage contract dilemma is going to be a win for us. We all know the inevitability of the end result tomorrow. Someone like him is vital. I don't think of him as someone we can use because I care for him too much to think of him as someone like that, but...it's not a bad thing to accept help from someone like him, human and all." She walked away from Rias and opened the door.

"Buchou, make your decision. And I hope it's the right one." With that, she exited from the room, leaving a president who was internally debating on what to do regarding her situation and the human she's grown so close to.

* * *

This had been Kurin's fourth time being with Orchintia since the whole Fallen debacle. He had been following with the young woman's given schedules in their contract.

"You seem troubled, Kurin." Orchintia said, handing him a glass of water.

He refused, sitting down on the couch. "In a way, I am."

She sat down next to him. "Well, I'm here to listen, so is it any trouble for you to tell me what's wrong? I've decided to close the shop for today earlier before you arrived. You're not gonna trouble me, Kurin."

He decided to lay on the couch with his head on her lap. "You ever sometimes feel that you're locked out of a loop?"

"Many times."

"I've been struggling with that for the past week. Rias-chan's obviously stressed, but she just refused to tell me anything about it. I asked the rest of her peerage about it, but they didn't know either, except for maybe their queen. It's just frustrated me a lot. I'm so worried for her, but I can't do anything about it unless she, or any of them, tells me what's wrong."

"I see."

"They've told me time and time again to be patient with it. And, well...I've only decided now to just be patient. They told me that she will tell me eventually, but when? It just...ugh."

She patted him on his head. "No need to get so worked up on it. I understand where you're coming from, but even if it did take that long, you have to be patient. Even through these. I've went through similar times like these, so I know how you feel."

"I got that from one of my friends too. She gave me advice almost word for word like yours." He sighed, pausing, then resuming afterwards. "I've cared for Rias a lot. And yet it shouldn't be this much. I'm dating someone else, damn it! And yet it just happens. But alright. You and the others are telling me to be patient? Then I'll do it. For Rias's sake."

He noticed that Orchintia was looking away from him, looking troubled herself. "Not you too. Will I have to wait two weeks before you tell me what your problem is?" He joked.

She shook her head, looking back down at him. "No...not that long. Hopefully. A lot has been going through my mind lately. And I couldn't help but be so angry about them."

"Angry? About what?"

Orchintia paused. She took breaths of air before speaking again. "I once left my home long ago. No, that would be too kind to say that. I was shunned away by many people. I was kicked out, with all my things. At least I still had some money with me. So I went city to city. Eventually I came across Kuoh, and I stayed here. However...I returned to my home one day. And it seemed as though I was never there to begin with. All of them, just never noticing me. I hated it. I was still furious about that to this day, even though I've tried to move on so many times." She let a tear escape. "But I couldn't. It has gotten to the point that I wanted to burn away everything there."

Kurin sat up and embraced her, which gave her surprise and pause. "It's hard to accept that. It took me a lot to move on from a personal tragedy I went through. But times have changed. We have to accept that maybe...the home you were in...just accepted your absence as well. I'm sure there were many who were hurt with what happened to you, but they couldn't just dwell on like that. You have to do the same. The home you once were in may not be the same, but the residents there have become better. You have to do the same. If you keep doing this...nothing will change. Are you really believing what you want to do to that home? Do you want it to be what you think is ideal for you? In the end, it isn't about you. It's about everyone. Don't do it. Give acceptance and move on, Orchintia."

She was in shock. She expected him to understand her. He did. She thought that he would go with whatever plan she had in mind. But he turned around the entirety of her grief and transformed it into something that she long wanted gone. She long refused to accept the past she had and move on. But the epiphany took its hold. Her arms weren't responding at first to the sudden embrace, but now they were wrapped around his back, and she was sobbing.

"I missed it. I missed it so much." She cried out.

"It was the same for me as I went through my lowest point. But they live through me now. It's time to bury the past that you despised, Orchintia-chan. It's not about how your past was. It's about how you continue in the present." He rested his head on her shoulder as he let her cry out her sorrow.

After the conversation, they decided to bake for themselves, with Kurin pulling out some new baking recipes he searched up just for the two of them. They had fun, of course. It was nearly nighttime when they were done. He bid her farewell, and she did the same. Somewhere in that heart of hers, she felt it beating. She had never felt more alive than today.

From that day forward, her feelings regarding the (thought-to-be) devil changed.

* * *

When the human arrived home, he was immediately jumped and brought down by his girlfriend to the floor, mounted by her.

"I haven't seen you in ages!" She said, kissing him.

"Last time we did was earlier this morning. Tell you what, how about we go on a date tomorrow?" He said once she pulled from him. She beamed in joy upon hearing it.

"Yes, please! It feels like some time since we last went on one."

He smiled warmly at her. "Anything for you, my light." This time he initiated the kiss and she moaned as he begged entrance to her mouth with his tongue. She gladly accepted as their kisses grew more passionate.

"Oh would you two just get a room and fuck already?" A voice droned out, and the two quickly pulled away and turned to see Kalawarner, who looked pretty annoyed.

"And how long were you watching us? Did we make you jealous? Or did we make you feel hot?" Raynare said, a smirk matching hers.

"You wish."

"Don't think I haven't been seeing you looking at my boyfriend with those eyes. Not like I mind sharing him."

"Do I have a say in this?" Kurin asked. He only got a finger covering his mouth as an answer. Internally, he sighed, also raising his arms out exasperatedly. Maybe he should just accept his girlfriend's teasing (not to mention the endless banter he got from his companion within him to just get a harem) and actually get a girl to share him.

' _No. I'm not that kind of idiotic guy.'_ He thought, fighting with himself.

"Whatever, Raynare." The blue-haired Fallen said, leaving.

"It's only a matter of tiiiiiiiiiime~" Raynare cheerfully said. She looked back at her boyfriend with a grin, followed by a giggle. "I know it's sudden, but Kurin-kun...I really don't mind if you've fallen in love with other girls. You have my permission."

"But...why?" He asked once she put away her finger from his face. "I don't understand. How come it's so easy for you to accept that I may be in a relationship with other girls?"

"Because I know that you'll love all of them just as much as how much you love me. You're gonna give all of them equal and undivided attention and care and love. You'll support them just as they support you." She smiled brightly. "Kurin-kun...don't be afraid. I was scared when we got into this relationship the first day. But with our year-long friendship before then, I _knew_ you were the one for me. You became my anchor. My link. And as it is to me for you, you are my light as well."

"Me killing you regretfully aside, you've been the best thing that's come to my life-"

"I heard that!" Kalawarner cut in.

"-and I love you so much." She leaned down and took him into her arms, hugging him as tight as she could. "I couldn't imagine what would happen if you died for real."

He was at a loss for words. He thought to himself, _'Did she really have that much faith in me?'_

As if hearing his thoughts, she said, "Yes, I have that much faith in you. Any girl would be lucky to have you. I'm just the first. That...and with whatever happened to you in the past. But less of that and more of my willingness." She laughed at the end.

He sighed, though it was a happy one. "Thank you, I guess. I think I'm the lucky one to have you. Now, is it alright if you could get off me?" She did so. He stood up, finally, only for her to jump on his back. He just chuckled and walked the both of them to his room. She just collapsed onto their bed when he sat.

"Ahhhhh. So tired..." She almost immediately closed her eyes and slept. He draped a blanket over her body and kissed her forehead. He walked away from the bed and approached his self-called 'worktable' and proceeded to do his assignments that were given over the week.

About three hours passed, and it was very late at night. When he finished his work, he looked back at the bed only to see his girlfriend nowhere.

' _Hmmm...must've went to get something downstairs...'_ He thought, walking back to the bed and sitting down.

"When is she ever going to tell me what's wrong?" He said to himself, his hands grasping his head, wondering.

The floor glows red, creating a familiar symbol. He looked down at it in surprise.

' _This is the Gremory crest...who the hell is coming here at this hour?!'_

Rias appeared, silent and stoic.

"What...what are you doing here?" He asked. She didn't respond. Instead she walked closer to him. Once close enough, she gripped his shoulders.

"Kurin...I've withheld this from you long enough. And I'm sorry for that. But please. I need you to do this one thing for me." She said.

For a moment he just stared at her in disbelief, but he soon nodded after. "Alright, Rias. This one time. What do you want me to do?"

Her lips were quivering. He realized that she was nervous. It quickly faded away, though, as she released her grip on him and took hold of his hands.

"I want you to take me. Take my virginity! Do it now!"

He looked at her, processing those words. He looked down, then back up at her, himself unsure of how to react. She began to undress.

"Am I not good enough for you?" She asked. That finally snapped him out of his spiel.

"No, it's not that. Rias...what's wrong? You've been troubled so much these past few days. And now this...this isn't like you." He said sorrowfully.

"Please, Kurin...just trust me on this one. You...you know how this works, right?"

"You can't seriously think I'm that stupid in this aspect."

That was when Raynare walked in, slamming open the door. Looking at the two, she put the pieces together, smirking right after.

"Ohhhhh, so I see what's going on now..." She said, approaching him and undressing herself as well.

"R-Raynare, i-it's not what it looks like!" Kurin stammered, blushing.

"No need to explain. I want this as much as you do."

Rias just shrugged and continued, straddling him once she was finished undressing. Meanwhile the Fallen Angel pressed herself on his back, feeling her breasts squish against it. Kurin needed to get out, and he wanted to escape now!

' _Damn it, Sellorion, help me! For once just get me out of this situation you perverted being!'_ He pleaded. All he got was a loud laugh. He groaned.

"Rias..." He said. "You don't need to do this. There has to be some other way I can help you."

"Does...does that mean you'd go back on your word?" She asked.

He gasped. She had actually used that one weakness, his unwillingness to go off on his promises, to try to make him go along. "How dare you...no, I can't. But you have to explain to me...to the two of us, everything! I can't take advantage of something like this! It's not right!" He said.

"Even I have to agree with him. Buchou, just let us help you in another way." Raynare chimed in.

Maybe they were right. While the redhead had given this a lot of thinking, maybe she was wrong again in this decision. Maybe she should've just told them right from the beginning.

The thoughts were overwhelming her. But before any of the three could do something, a white glow was in their sights.

Kurin immediately realized the crest. _'This is...!'_

"Sirzechs-sama would be disappointed in you, Rias. Being with this...individual, along with a Fallen Angel at that." A woman's voice rang out. The glow and the crest faded, and there appeared a woman wearing a blue-and-white dress.

"Sirzechs-sama? As in Sirzechs Lucifer?" Raynare asked as she quickly dressed herself back.

"That would be correct, young woman." She said.

"Sirzechs Lucifer, once known as Sirzechs Gremory, is the older brother of Rias, and is one of the current Four Great Maou. You're...Grayfia Lucifuge, his queen, correct?"

Grayfia was slightly surprised at the knowledge this boy held. Nonetheless she respected that and nodded. "You're right." However she then gave a questioning gaze at the boy and then turned to the Gremory heiress Have you all wondered who Orchintia is.

"Rias, who is this boy?" She asked.

"This is Kurin Salamencia, Grayfia-sama. He's the human who refused to be a devil. Nonetheless he's still one of my closest friends. He's also a part of my group, along with Raynare, his girlfriend."

As Grayfia listened, one thought came into mind: _'Salamencia? But I thought that clan was all but wiped out...this one survived. And...he's human?!'_ If she was shocked by the last part, she didn't show it.

"I see. Pardon for the intrusion." She said, bowing to Kurin as part of an apology.

"No worries."

Rias turned to the queen. "Grayfia-sama...it is my right to give what I want to whom I want. That includes my virtue."

Grayfia chuckled lightly. "Noted, Rias. Though you have to remember. You are the next head of your house in time. You will have to make decisions more clearly than this. Also, give yourself some respect more." She picked up her clothing and draped the coat over her body.

"If it's too much to ask, you two, but what is the situation going on with Rias-chan here?" Kurin asked.

The silverette and the redhead turned towards one another. "You didn't tell him?"

"I didn't want him to be involved." She explained.

' _Not this again...'_

"You're kidding me." Kurin said, causing Rias to sharply turn towards him. "I said to you sometime back, to not treat me as if I'm so fragile because I'm human. And yet here you are again. You're worried for me, I get that. But remember, I'm not easy to put down. I'm stronger than you think I am. You didn't want me to get involved, yet I already was the day you made me a part of your group. Rias...if you can't trust me that much, how will I know that I can trust you?" He stood up, walked past them, and looked out the window.

He sighed. "You two should go. I'm interested in your explanation tomorrow." He said, as if he knew what was about to happen tomorrow.

"Kurin..." She began, only to be cut off by him.

"Just go."

"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner."

Grayfia simply stood by and watched. _'The owner of the Undying Remorse...a Sacred Gear long unknown and hidden...and it just so turned out to be the last Salamencia.'_

The two devils disappeared.

 _ **[That was harsh.]**_ Sellorion said.

' _Sel, she has to realize that_ _. I just wish that this night ends.'_

Raynare walked up and hugged him.

He's only hoping that things will be clearer tomorrow.

* * *

 **AN: So, with that, we kick off the next arc in the story (and the new year). At first, I thought about making a pre-arc chapter before the chapter that starts the Phenex arc, but I eventually decided against it, as it was going nowhere for me. The arc itself is probably going to last three or four chapters, including this one.**

 **Kurin...still isn't too happy at Rias for not trusting him enough. And again she was afraid that he may be harmed in something he shouldn't have to be involved in. This only made him less happy at her, and wonder if he was worth anything to her as a friend. However, he's still willing to hear her out. He knows that she has a reasonable explanation for her mess.**

 **In the time from when I asked about it to now, I've decided that, _maybe_ , Kurin will have his own peerage soon enough. I'm leaning more on the possibility of him having one. Still, I want to hear your opinions on whether you want him to have one or not.**

 **Also, there's a chance that some of the individuals in the harem may be removed from it. Just to give a heads-up.**

 **Please review your thoughts on the chapter. I appreciate all the effort you have in reading the story, and it'd help more if you give your thoughts about them. What's good about it, what's bad, what needs improvement, all of that. It'll help me a lot. I'll see you all next update.**


	7. The Meeting

**Review responses:**

 **Kreceir: Really now? Well, I just keep thinking about how they'll fit into the harem. But I'll do my best to make sure they do fit into the harem and the story.**

 **Blake2020: Thanks for the support. For sure, all those you mentioned are permanent.**

 **wweTheBeast2015: Hmm, alright.**

 **twisterblake2015: Is Ravel considered a lolicon? I'm not too much fond of those types, but she's an exception if she is one.**

 **Tohka123: Thanks! Appreciate the support.**

 **FairyTailNut: Hahaha, probably should expect more like that soon.**

* * *

"You okay, Kurin?" Yumi asked. She and Asia caught up to him and Raynare as they walked, and quickly they noticed that Kurin looked very disheveled.

"He's...had a rough night. He's still sad that Rias hadn't trusted him enough." Raynare explained.

"About what?" She asked.

"Whatever has been bothering her the past week. Even Akeno-san didn't tell him, though that's understandable. Best that Buchou herself say it." She answered. "You have any idea?"

"Well...if I had to make my own assumption, it's probably House of Gremory drama. Sometimes this has happened to her, but not as extreme as this to someone whom she cares about so much. But..." She paused. "There is only one thing that could make her like this. And...you won't like it." At that, Kurin's eyes lit up and he turned to the swordswoman.

' _Wait...then again, I do want to hear it from Rias-chan herself.'_ Kurin thought to himself. However, he did look slightly better than before that. It gave him motivation. _'I already know it's not good. But what is the extent of that? What could it be that made her that way?'_ These similar thoughts ran through his mind as they walked to the old building. Once arriving there, he pushed all those thoughts aside, knowing that he'll finally get all the answers to the situation at hand.

When they opened the door to the main room, they found the remaining members and Grayfia there.

"Good. You're all here." Rias said.

"Greetings again, Lucifuge-sama." Kurin politely said.

"As to you as well, Salamencia-san." She said, level of politeness the same as his. The silverette turned to Rias. "My lady, with all due respect, may I be given permission to speak openly?"

Rias stood, nodding. "Let's hear what she has to say."

None would be given the opportunity to speak, however, when a glowing orange crest appeared on the floor. Kurin took note of the symbol.

' _The Phenex symbol...I've seen this before...from learning the current history of the Underworld...'_

In a flash of flames, one tall and blond man appeared, back turned away from them. He faced them immediately after. "And so Riser has finally arrived in the Human Realm." He said. "Riser has come all this way to see you, dearest Rias."

Kurin narrowed his eyes. "This is Riser Phenex, am I right?" He asked Grayfia. "Third in line to the House of Phenex." She nodded. "And if I'm right, should the pieces are put together in place..."

"He's my fiance." Rias said, finally deciding to inform him. "It came as a result of a marriage contract the heads of both Houses of Gremory and Phenex made. It was a long time ago. I had been notified of it some time back. So that meant that I was engaged to him."

"I see." Kurin said. He drew a deep breath and sighed. "Not easy for someone like you, who's next in line to being head of your house. I guess I understand why now."

She smiled. "Thank you." Tense silence followed.

"Right then. We'll have to make modest preparations for the guest. Please excuse me." Akeno said, breaking the tension in the room. They all nodded. Rias and Riser then sat on one of the couches. Or well, Riser forced her to sit with him, sort of. She didn't like that.

It was then that Raynare reached up and whispered to Kurin's ear, "I don't like him. He seems to be bad news to me."

"I know. I have a bad vibe about this guy as well." He whispered back.

Akeno returned with cups of tea. She handed one to Riser, who took a sip.

"Most wonderful. Nothing less from dearest Rias's queen." He said.

"Thank you." Akeno said, but Kurin felt that to be forced, along with her bow. He knew she didn't like him either. Matter of fact, except for possibly Grayfia, who is very neutral on the matter, he felt that everyone else in the room didn't like this man. She handed out the rest of the cups to the others. They all graciously gave their thanks.

After a few minutes of silence, with Riser's constant playing with her hair and touching, Rias had enough. She stood up and faced him.

' _Good that she stopped him. I swear I haven't felt this kind of anger before...'_ Kurin thought. A cyan color had all but appeared in a flash around him.

"For how long will you keep trying and failing to understand, Riser? I have told you before, and I will tell you again, I have absolutely no intentions of marrying you. So let this go." She said.

"However, dearest, Riser knows the trouble your house is facing. And Riser knows that you cannot afford to be selfish in this regard." He countered.

"Better than to ruin the name of my house. While I have no intention to deny you our name, you should understand that whoever I marry, that is my choice. That is my right." She rebuked.

"Do you forget? It is important for us Devils to remain pure, considering that even to this day, the we still haven't returned to the old population of our kind since the last war. This contract, decided upon by your father and Sirzechs on your side, was made with the future of the Devils in mind."

"No. My entire family made this contract in too big a hurry."

"And it's not like as if your numbers couldn't replenish like this. There's always another way." Kurin added in. Secretly, he was holding in his anger, which he found to be a lot harder to hold off in these past few days.

"For the last time Riser, I will not marry you!"

The constant arguing pushed the Phenex pureblood past it. He stood up and firmly held her chin.

"Reminding you this, one last time, Rias, I bear the reputation of the Phenex clan. Do you really think you will be let off with besmirching the house's good name? That is unacceptable."

Everyone looked at him in surprise, except for Grayfia, acting as their mediator, and the only other man in the room. He simply stared. Riser turned to the others.

"Riser does not care if he has to incinerate every individual in this room. I will take Rias back to the underworld with me!" He glowed orange. Rias glowed red.

Two voices made their presence. "There will be no need for incineration." This was calmly said by Grayfia.

" **ENOUGH!"** This was said by Kurin. Everyone turned towards him. He was glowing a dangerous cyan aura, as the other two's auras disappeared.

"Threaten my friends, especially those I care about, and you'll become my enemy **.** " He warned. He then noticed the nervous looks given off by his friends. Riser was merely surprised, and Grayfia looked a bit surprised too. He slightly widened his eyes and then closed them. He took a deep breath. The glow wore off. He looked down.

"I am so sorry for that. I didn't know what came up for that to happen." He apologized, holding his head in his hands. Mentally, it was a different story.

' _Damn it, Sellorion!'_

 _ **[You're on edge these past few days. I understand that. However, it made it a bit harder to hold off the aura. Your emotions have become volatile. Just calm down.]**_

' _Yeah. Sorry about that. I'll try not to let that happen again.'_

"No need for apologies, Salamencia-san." Grayfia said, then turning to the two young nobles. "As you two know, I was sent here under orders by Sirzechs-sama. If either of you two, or anyone here, attempt to disrupt peace, then I have free reign to bring back order at all costs. So please, _don't try anything_." She warned.

"When given a warning by the Ultimate Queen, even Riser knows when to comply." Riser said.

"Sirzechs-sama anticipated this to happen, communication between both parties breaking down, so he has given me a last resort to resolve this situation." Grayfia said.

"Because of course he has." Rias sarcastically said. "Care to explain, Grayfia-sama?"

"If Rias-sama wants to put her personal preference above her family-" However, the sound of chuckling, which then turned into laughing was heard. They all turned to see who it was.

"You can't actually be serious in what Sirzechs-sama has thought of." Kurin said as he laughed. This laugh, though, was off-putting. It showed how absurd he felt towards it. "Did he think that Rias, no offense, would be ready enough to go against Riser in a _freaking_ _Rating Game?_ " His words gave shock to the others.

"That is correct, though I don't know how you have known this information." Grayfia said.

Riser smirked. "While Riser has competed in various Rating Games, and has been victorious in numerous ones, my dearest bride, inexperienced as she is, has not even qualified for a single official Rating Game. Not to mention, she is severely lacking in many pieces for the game. Am I right? They're all you've got? This adorable little group?"

"He's right. He knows that the only ones allowed to qualify are mature devils, so it's not like she's had enough opportunity." Akeno said.

"However, it's not just that which is our worry." Koneko said.

"And so what if they are?" Rias challenged, which was met with laughs from Riser. He snapped his fingers, and the crest appeared once more, with the flames of course. Out came fifteen girls.

"You have less than ten. Riser has fifteen pieces." He said. "I have a complete set." He smirked. The arrogance was really grating.

"Right. As if that mattered." Kurin dismissed.

"Hmph. And what do you know? You should know how severely underpowered your group is compared to my full peerage. You are her servant, after all." Riser asked.

"First of all, don't call me her servant. I refused being a Devil the first time she gave me that offer." Kurin said. All of Riser's peerage gasped, including the man himself. The girls then talked to each other about that, that he was a human, here talking to them. "And second, maybe you should be the one to know that even with these odds, even the strongest fall to those they consider inferior to them, burnt chicken."

Riser took offense to his insult. "Burnt chicken?! You...you...You're not even a Devil in the first place. And I guess that whore you call a Fallen Angel is still a Fallen Angel?" He asked. That elicited gasps from Rias's side, along with some from Riser's own. Raynare was visibly hurt by the insult, but she quickly recovered.

"Riser...you've crossed a line even some of the most vile individuals won't." Grayfia warned, crossed. Even she was aware of the relationship Kurin and Raynare held.

Kurin charged at him, calmly and quietly, like an assassin. It made Riser feel uneasy towards this human.

"Mira! Stop him!" Riser instructed. At first she hesitated, but the staff-wielding pawn nodded, intercepting him. With a stiff swing, she sent Kurin upwards to the ceiling, surprising herself.

Unfortunately, he had landed at the pointed end of the chandelier. He was stabbed right through the heart. He yelled out in pain.

 _Everyone_ gasped in shock. "KURIN!" Raynare cried, carrying his corpse back down. Mira immediately went to check on him.

"Oh Lucifer I am so sorry! I didn't think that he'd be swung up! I'm sorry! I'M SORRY!" She pleaded.

Rias angrily looked at Riser and his peerage. "He may not be my servant, but he's still one of my closest friends. That's the last straw. Grayfia-sama, tell Onii-sama that I accept the Rating Game proposal. Riser is going to pay for this." Rias said, snapping Grayfia out of her thoughts. The Ultimate Queen nodded.

"I will inform him immediately."

After a few minutes of checking, she looked at the blue-haired girl. "Damn it...he's dead." Raynare said, looking down. "Again."

"Again...?" The entirety of Riser's group murmured, along with the mediator.

 _'This boy...and that Fallen, she said that he died again. It's not possible for him to be resurrected...is it?'_ The Phenex noble thought, staring at the currently dead body of the human.

"Aaaaagh, fuck..." Kurin groaned, sitting up, the wound from the heart stab gone. The surprises just kept hitting them. Kurin stared at Mira. "That...wasn't very nice. Now I have to clean these clothes again." He stood up, dusted himself off, and looked at Riser.

"Alright, burnt chicken. You've insulted my girlfriend. You treat Rias as if she was just some sort of trophy. And something tells me most of your peerage, if not all of them, don't have positive thoughts about you. I've had enough with people like you. Some of the worst kind. So let's make a deal." He said. "If Rias wins, you have to let any member of your peerage, who don't want to be with you, go. If they stay after the Game, then that's their decision. If they leave, you have to honor that. And if those who stayed do decide to leave soon as well, then you have to honor that decision as well. You can't do anything about it."

"And if I win?"

"If you win this Rating Game, then the arrangement continues as promised. And in time, on my decision as to when...I am going to willingly serve the House of Phenex."

"Kurin, don't!" The others pleaded. He defiantly stood his ground.

As Kurin looked into Riser's peerage, he did see some of them look in awe and shock at how this unknown, this _human_ would willingly deal with Riser the kind that would sacrifice himself, in exchange for their freedom. Some minimally thought that it was foolish, sometimes borderline idiotic, but they were flattered at his attempt. Especially since he did voice out that they didn't exactly like their King.

' _His pride won't let him refuse this.'_ The human thought.

After much thinking, Riser finally made his answer. "Riser accepts. Believe me, I did not intend for your death to occur. But with this agreement, know that you did this to yourself. You know that it will be your fault you even made this in the first place. You have to honor the conditions as well if you lose."

"I should be worried more about _you_ reneging on this agreement, burnt chicken."

"He may not exactly be of character, but Riser honors agreements like this." One of the members of his peerage, the short blonde pigtailed girl in a pink dress, said.

"How are you so sure? Who are you to say?" Kurin asked.

"I'm his sister, Ravel Phenex." The words didn't register to Kurin immediately, taking in the meaning in context, but when it did, he groaned, covering his face with his palm.

"You're kidding me. Even your sister is in your peerage...stupid burnt chicken..." He just sighed. "I'm gonna need a freaking drink."

"Then it is agreed." Grayfia cut in. "This agreement will be put in place in the Rating Game. Both groups have ten days of preparation for the Game."

Riser and his peerage then grouped together.

"Riser!" Rias called out. "I promise that we _will_ defeat you."

At first, he was quiet. But he responded, "I look forward to our battle, dearest Rias."

"Hey, burnt chicken!" Kurin called out. The two males looked at each other. Kurin smirked. "I'll see you in ten days." Riser only nodded. The crest appeared once more, and Riser's peerage was gone, taken in by the flames.

Immediately Kurin was slapped by Rias and Raynare.

"Are you stupid/crazy?!" They both said.

"And if I am?"

"You're risking yourself so much! And for what?!" Rias said.

"Rias is right. There's nothing that needed you to do that deal." Yumi said.

"Except I see it. I see it in their eyes. They don't like Riser. They're tired. Sometimes hurting, suffering. I just see it. And I couldn't let that continue." He said. They all just smiled at how heartwarming he was even to strangers he just met.

"That's nice and all, but putting yourself on the line crossed it into idiotic territory, Salamencia-san." Grayfia said.

"First of all, call me Kurin, Lucifuge-sama. Second, if I had made the deal without putting myself at risk he wouldn't have accepted it. He won't get anything out of it if it had kept going like it was other than what was stated. It would've looked one-sided to him. I had to put myself in it because by doing so, his pride will not let him refuse an opportunity for that. That's how someone with so much arrogance like Riser can accept a deal like that. Sometimes, it has to be done." He explained.

The more the Ultimate Queen thought about it, the more she came to realize the sound thinking he had, even though she thought that putting himself on the line was foolish.

She nodded. "Then call me Grayfia from now on as well, Kurin." She said. "Anyways, I must go and inform Sirzechs-sama about this. Farewell."

She left thereafter.

"Right then. We've got ten days to train ourselves to be even better when we face Riser and his peerage." Rias said. "Luckily, I know just where we can. All of you go get home and pack up. We leave tomorrow morning so that we can start early."

"Got it." They all said. They continued classes after this meeting.

Once they were over, they all went to their homes to prepare.

For Kurin and Raynare, all they packed were the clothes that would suffice for the ten days they were staying, and some other important items.

Kurin was in his room, alone. He was holding a pendant, with gold and blue colors split at the middle. He gripped it tightly in his fist, closing his eyes.

"Maybe...maybe this is a sign...to understand more about...this..." He said to himself.

"Kurin-kuuuuuun! Come on! You promised me, remember? We'd go out on a date today!" Raynare called out. It snapped him out of his focus with the pendant. He immediately hid it somewhere and exited the room, shouting out, "Coming, Raynare-chan!"

Down at the main door, she stood waiting for him. When she saw him finally arrive, she smiled.

"I thought you'd forget." She said.

He laughed and kissed her deeply. "What, and miss out on the chance of being on a date with the one I love so much? Not a chance."

And so they went out, enjoying the rest of the day with each other. But as he and Raynare went on with their date, one nagging thought came into mind.

 _'How am I gonna put me and Raynare into Rias's peerage without turning us into devils?'_

When he asked Sellorion about this, the spirit of the Undying Remorse chuckled.

 _ **[There's still some things you don't know about this old Sacred Gear. On the day before the Rating Game, you and everyone else will find out.]**_

* * *

"What do you think, Sirzechs-sama?" Grayfia asked, having just reported the events of the meeting earlier. The Maou chuckled in response.

"My sister and the last of the Salamencia clan...to think they'd have become very close friends. I really haven't been checking out the human world lately, have I?" The chuckle turned to laughter.

"For someone like Kurin to put himself on the line like that...it's smart, foolish, and brave at the same time. I'll look forward to meeting the kid."

"Do you think they will win?" She asked. In all honesty, she felt nervous for her King's sister's chances. Against someone like Riser, the odds are very low. But when she saw the slight flare-up from Kurin's body, she was overwhelmed by how much power he held. She could still be able to defeat him one-on-one, but he wouldn't make it easy, especially with the fact that he could keep going with his 'unique' resurrection. She wondered how much power could Kurin really hold, especially since he will just not give up.

Sirzechs smiled at his best friend. "I have faith in them. Ria-tan and Kurin-san will be able to defy odds and defeat Riser. They'll find a way, somehow. I get the feeling that we're about to see something special ten days from now."

* * *

 **AN: And not too soon. I'm probably going to skip the training days to the Rating Game itself, with some flashbacks from some of those days. This is a tad shorter than what I usually put up, but it's still important all the same.**

 **If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Well, except if there will be smut in the story, in which there's a very high possibility that there won't be any. Keep sending the reviews. I really appreciate that.**

 **Well, that's it for me here. See you all next update.**


	8. Rating Game: Gremory vs Phenex, Part 1

The day had arrived. Ten days of preparation and training led to this. The Rating Game between Riser and Rias.

They all trained hard. They honed their abilities. While there's the very real chance that they may lose due to inexperience alone, surely they must've at least gotten stronger, right?

The only way to determine that was during the game itself.

It was only twenty minutes left. Everyone save for a few were just warming up. They were then met by two individuals that entered their room: Student Council President Sona Sitri and Student Council Vice President Tsubaki Shinra.

"Greetings, Rias-san." Sona said. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No, not at all, Sona-san, Tsubaki-san." Rias greeted back.

"Hey there, you two. While I'm glad to see you two, what brings you here?" Kurin said.

"The competition is going to be broadcasted for family members to watch. Sona and Tsubaki here are in charge of that." Rias explained.

"I'm also here to wish you guys good luck. It's her first Rating Game, after all. I'm not going to miss it for the world." She said. But...I am curious about something concerning you and Raynare." She turned to the young man.

"I think I have a sense as to what you're gonna ask." He said.

"I have a question myself, if you'd be kind to answer it." Grayfia said as she appeared from a magic crest.

"Well...saves the time telling this to both of you at least." Kurin said, shrugging. "You're both wondering how the hell is it that me and Raynare have Evil Pieces inside of us, while at the same time not turning into Devils. An interesting moment, that I can say."

* * *

 _ **(The Previous Day)**_

It was late afternoon on the final day of preparation. Everyone had finished their training and improvement, and are about to pack up to head back home. Kurin was sitting in the living room of the house they were staying at, eyes closed and focused.

' _Alright, Sellorion. I want to help Rias-chan win. But since Evil Pieces can't be inserted inside of me, since the Undying Remorse will force it out, it's impossible. Not to mention that Raynare wouldn't want to be a Devil either. But you told me there's a way. And it's the last day of training, the day you promised to tell me. How?'_ He asked.

 _ **[I can tell you agonizingly waited for this entire thing. But it's good that you waited. I will not tell you how but rather I'll show you how. Gather everyone. Now.]**_ Sellorion said. Kurin did so, and everyone immediately went.

 _ **[Let me take over your body for now, kid. I can't speak out to everyone if you're in control.]**_ Reluctantly, Kurin allowed him to control his body.

' _That's done, Sel. I'm now in, and you're in control.'_

 **[Nicely done, Kurin.]** He spoke. His voice was deeper than Kurin's. His eyes also changed. They were now a myriad of colors that changed every ten seconds.

Upon hearing him speak, everyone was on edge. "What did you do to Kurin-kun?!" Raynare said, getting onto his face angrily.

 **[Nothing to worry about, Raynare. Your boyfriend's safe in this body. I just temporarily took control for me to speak to you. I haven't properly introduced myself to all of you yet. I'm Sellorion, the embodiment of the Undying Remorse.]** He said. Everyone looked at him shocked. They lowered their weapons.

"You're...the Undying Remorse?! You're the Sacred Gear itself?" Rias said. The boy shrugged.

 **[Eh, kinda. He's listening, by the way. Just as how I listen to you guys when Kurin's in full control. So when I speak, he's able to hear me too.]** He said.

"So...why are you here?" Raynare asked.

 **[For ten days, you guys trained your hearts out. You pushed yourselves to your very limits. But it would be meaningless for Kurin and Raynare if they couldn't even participate.]** He said.

"That's...right. They're both not on our peerage. We'd be disqualified for getting illegal players into the game." Rias said. They saw Kurin, or rather, Sellorion smirk.

 **[Fortunately, it shouldn't be too hard of a disadvantage to fix. Rias, if it were possible, which pieces would you use for both of them?]**

"Well...I don't have many available positions left. For Raynare, it's easy, as she's best used as an attack piece, so for her, she'll be a Knight, since I still have one open spot. For Kurin-kun...with my knights taken up, and with Asia taking up as bishop, it's only either being a rook and a pawn left. While the rook would be great for him, as he can take up even more damage than before, the pawn, while weak, has much versatility, especially when he is promoted, so if it was possible, he'd be my pawn." Rias answered. That earned another smile from the immortal being.

 **[Astute observation, Gremory-san. That would be my answer as well. Hand me those pieces. Raynare-san, come closer. It's time I show you all something.]** Both did as told, and he held the knight piece first.

 **[While the Undying Remorse rejects Evil Pieces, as it's unwilling to change it's vessel's supernatural form permanently, meaning Human, Devil, Fallen Angel, etc., that doesn't mean that it can't _temporarily accept_ them, even if the individual in question doesn't hold the Sacred Gear and doesn't want to change as well. The Undying Remorse allows up to three people, the vessel not an exception to the rule, to temporarily accept the Evil Piece into their system for a short time, while also preventing them from turning into Devil, Angel, etc.] ** Sellorion explained. **[Observe.]** The piece in hand, he gently pressed it with his palm into Raynare's chest. The knight piece entered her body, though only a dim glow was present.

' _No way...'_

"No way..." Everyone mouthed.

Looking at the jaw-dropped looks on their faces, he couldn't help but laugh. **[Impressive, isn't it? Rias, give me the pawn.]** Rias, getting out of her shock, handed him one.

 **[Let's see if this works.]** He pushed the pawn onto his chest. Unfortunately, it didn't take. He looked back at her. **[Not enough, it seems. One pawn can't contain his power. Hand me another.]** He tried again, now with two pieces, but still it didn't happen. He asked for another and tried again, but again, nothing came from it. Even with five pawns, it still wouldn't contain. **_[How much power does Kurin actually have?!]_** He thought.

' _I guess...a heck of a lot. Wow.'_ Kurin said, surprised at this himself.

 **[Rias...let's try all eight pieces.]** He said.

"Are...are you sure? Do you think he holds that much power?" Asia asked.

 **[Considering that five pawns weren't enough...then I have a hunch that eight pawns will hold his powers.]** He replied.

"Alright. I see your point." Rias said, giving him the remaining pawns she held. He then pushed them into his body.

It accepted them.

He emitted the same dim glow Raynare had.

"Eight pawns. That...that holds almost equal value to two rooks together, or even two bishops and two pawns." Akeno said in surprise.

"He's that powerful..." The others murmured.

Sellorion smiled at this before speaking up again. **[Five days. That's all the time the Sacred Gear can hold for both bodies. If it were three people affected, there would've only been three days. Once that time limit ends, the pieces will be too much for the Gear to hold, and they'll be ejected from the bodies they were held in. Use the time wisely. And take down the burnt chicken for me. He needs to learn. That's all for now. We'll meet again like this soon.]** His eyes then glowed, but they stopped all of a sudden, the eyes unchanged. He turned to Raynare, one thumb up. **[Oh, and thanks for getting him into a relationship, Raynare-san. As someone who's been with this idiot for a long time, he needed someone. He sure picked a good one to start with.]** He said, eliciting a blush from the Fallen Angel. His eyes glowed again, and they returned to Kurin's colors.

"Holy crap...I feel those pawns circle in me." He said.

"The Knight piece...I feel it too." Raynare said.

"Then it's working. I guess we have that issue fixed up now." Rias said, now smiling. "We may have a chance after all."

* * *

"Interesting. To think that a Sacred Gear can just take control as simply as that. To be honest, it scares even me a little bit." Sona remakred once Kurin finished his story.

 **[Why thank you, Sitri-san. I'm flattered.]** Sellorion suddenly voiced out, making everyone jump in surprise. **[I'm not some ordinary Sacred Gear after all. I'm a little more than that.]**

"Is that...him?" Sona asked.

 **[Obviously. Surprised?]**

Sona shook her head. "No, not exactly. I just expected-"

 **[Something different? I'm just the embodiment of a Sacred Gear, after all. I'm not much, to be honest.]**

"So what brings you here, then?" Rias asked. He turned to face her peerage.

 **[Just some parting words of encouragement before the game. You're the underdogs. Riser's a very strong individual. He's won many games due to his peerage's strength and growing experience. His experience alone could be enough to take the game from you. The key is to not be deterred when, not if, things don't go your way. There's a solution to every problem that arises. Don't give up, even when things look very bleak. And remember to use every ounce of your strength and abilities. You'll need every single one of that, trust me. I have faith in all of you. I'll be watching. Good luck!]** The eyes quickly returned to normal, and it left Kurin scratching his head.

"Gods damn it. He even surprises me sometimes." Kurin said. While he did give permission for him to take control once again, he felt him take over so quickly that it left him very dazed.

"Are you okay, Kurin? No side effects we should worry about?" Raynare asked, half-concerned and half-joking.

He quickly grabbed her and rested his chin on her head. "Oh shut up, Ray-chan." He laughed. "I'm a hundred percent alright." She laughed along with him. Everyone smiled at this.

"Well, that's over and done with. It's almost time, Rias. Are you all ready?" Grayfia asked.

"As ready as we'll ever be." She answered.

"Good luck, Rias. I'll be watching from the Student Council broadcast booth, cheering you on. But if I had to bet on who'd win, I'd say you'll beat him definitively." Sona and Tsubaki left the room. Grayfia then conjured a magic circle.

"I almost forgot. I must also inform you that the Maou Lucifer will be watching." She said as she did.

"Oh. My brother." She said, slightly downcast.

"Your brother is Sirzechs Lucifer? The King himself?" Raynare asked.

The nod was all the confirmation the Fallen Angel needed. Asia was surprised to hear this as well.

"That explains how Buchou is the heiress to the Gremory House." Asia remarked as the magic circle was finally completed.

"This will transport you to the battlefield for the game. Good luck to all of you." She lastly said. The circle glowed red underneath them, and then they were gone.

"That's strange. We just came back in the same room. Did something go wrong?" Asia asked.

"No, Asia. We are in the same room, but we are in a neutral space. It looks like the school is the battlefield for this Rating Game." Akeno explained. "With it, there's no collateral damage that will actually occur." She grinned in a sadistic manner. "That means we can do as much damage as we want."

"I like the sound of that." Kurin said, grinning with glee not unlike Akeno's.

They then heard a voice ring out around the battlefield.

"The Rating Game between Rias Gremory and Riser Phenex is about to begin. I am Grayfia, and I will be your referee for this match."

What they heard next was something no one expected. "Sirzechs Lucifer here, and I'm here to provide some commentary on this match. Oh this is going to be so good!"

"My brother is-?!" Rias shrieked in surprise.

"Whoa...this is cool." Kurin said, amazed.

"Yes, Sirzechs Lucifer is here as a special guest on commentary. Though seriously, must you be this childish?" Grayfia said.

"Not like I can't help it. It's my sister's first Rating Game after all. Good luck Ria-tan!" He excitedly said.

Rias covered her face with one of her hands, embarrassed. "And already he's at it..." She groaned.

Despite the tension, everyone lightly laughed at Rias's embarrassment.

"OWWW!" Sirzechs said.

"Keep yourself neutral from this point on, my King." Grayfia said.

"Yes Grayfia-chan..."

"Anyways, for the battlefield of this game, I took suggestions from the Kings of both peerages. Many of you are probably familiar with the location as it is an exact copy of Kuoh Academy, an educational institution in the human world that Rias Gremory and company study in." The Queen explained.

"Well, it seems your intuition served right, Akeno-chan." Kurin said.

"What did Grayfia-sama mean by that?" Asia asked.

"Take a look outside. You'll find that things don't exactly look the same." Rias said. Kurin went to open one of the windows, with Asia and Raynare following, and they saw the sky changed to a completely different feel.

"Wow...to think something like this actually exists." Raynare said.

Yumi smiled. "It's cool, isn't it? Despite the uncanny resemblance to our school, we're not actually in school."

"It definitely is. So amazing." Asia said.

Grayfia continued speaking, "Each team has been given a certain location that serves as their base of operations. For Rias, her group is situated at the Occult Research Club Headquarters in the Old School Building."

"Right. Show the Phenex group's location." Sona instructed.

"As you say." Tsubaki said.

"For Riser, his team is situated at the Principal's Office at the New School Building." Grayfia continued. "The pawns of both teams will be promoted if they reach the opposing team's base. Best of luck to all participants."

"Right. Now that introductions are complete, what is the plan?" Raynare asked.

"First, each of you should take one of these." Rias said as Koneko handed each of them a tiny magical pink sphere. "These will help communicate between us during this battle." Everyone inserted them into their ears, and it disappeared inside.

"To all Devils, Fallen Angel, and Human, the game has begun!" Grayfia said.

' _Seven versus sixteen. Here we go!'_ Kurin thought, determined.

On the other side, Riser's peerage was waiting for his orders.

"The plan is simple. Crush them. Force them to submission. If we don't win this battle decisively then it would be meaningless. You all know what to do. Go!"

Meanwhile, Rias's team was making their strategy for their attack. Because they are severely outnumbered, they can't let any one of them go down. Each piece of their plan has to be picture perfect, or else they will be forced out of their zone, possibly costing them a few key members.

"The key to this first attack is setting up defenses to put them off-guard. Kiba, Koneko, Kurin, can you—where's Kurin?"

"I'm outside, setting up traps all around the field since Grayfia officially started the game." Kurin said. "Yumi-chan and Koneko-chan can help set up additional traps if it's necessary. Akeno, you can start setting up the illusions once the two girls begin setting up and finalizing the traps. Am I clear?"

"Yes." The three said, leaving thereafter.

"In the meantime, what should Raynare-chan and Asia-chan do?" He asked.

"Asia cannot be harmed since she's primarily a healer. Raynare can help make up for Asia's lack of combat prowess, so that means she has to stay and defend. You four will have to be the attackers for this. We'll have to wait until all of our defenses are set up."

"Right." Both Asia and Raynare said.

Minutes passed. Akeno contacted Rias. "Buchou, all our traps and illusions are set. We're ready when you are."

"Well, it seems that Team Gremory are set to initiate their first move. What do you think is the key for a victory here, Sitri-san?" Sirzechs asked.

"Because they are outnumbered 7-16, Rias's group cannot be able to defend their base and launch a full assault at the same time. They will have to use tertiary attacks to gain the positional advantage." Sona answered.

"They do have numerous traps and illusions set. Their defensive setup is actually pretty decent for a team who is on their first Rating Game." Sirzechs noted. "However, they are up against a team who have won numerous competitions. They are not going to be surprised at this."

"Alright. Koneko, Kurin, your first target is the gymnasium. Understand that once you arrive, the chances for a battle is inevitable. Be sure to stick to our plan."

"Noted." Kurin said.

"Got it." Koneko said.

"Yumi, are you ready?"

"Affirmative. I'm in position."

"Akeno, Raynare, hold the fort for now. Stand by to move once the signal is given, Akeno. Raynare, continue to watch the field after Akeno leaves."

"No problem, Rias. We totally got this." Akeno said.

"I'll make sure no one gets close." Raynare said.

"Then we're set. This operation is now a go. With our enemy being Riser, he's not going to hold back. Show no mercy." Rias said. Everyone headed for their respective positions.

* * *

Arriving at the gymnasium, Koneko and Kurin hid. Kurin was gripping the pendant he was wearing.

' _Please, guide me.'_

"No point in hiding. Show yourselves, Gremory trash and fight us!" One of Riser's peerage's members said.

"Well, since you asked for it..." In unexpected fashion, Kurin charged, twin armblades on guard. There were four members of Riser's peerage, and they all just barely dodged his attack. "Be careful what you wish for!"

' _So fast...'_ The others thought. Koneko appeared, and Kurin stopped opposite of her.

"Introduce yourselves before we begin this fight. I'd like to get to know who I'm up against before anything." He said.

"I'm Mira. Pawn." The blue-haired staff-wielder said. Kurin gained a look of understanding.

"Oh. You're the one who sent me up to the chandelier and killed me." He said.

Mira had a flashback to that day. She bowed down. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for...I just thought..."

He waved it off. "That's alright. All in the past. I've died a lot of times, so it's more of a minor setback for me now. How about you three?"

"I'm Xuelan. Rook." The blue Qipao-wearing woman said.

"I'm Ile. Pawn." The green-haired girl on the left said.

"I'm Nel. Pawn." The other green-haired girl said.

"You're twins?" He asked. The two girls nodded.

"Alright. Koneko-chan!" He called out. "I'll take on the three pawns. You take on Xuelan. I'll be sure to provide backup." He instructed. She nodded.

With that, he turned to the three. He smirked. "Well, ladies? Shall we dance?" The armblades switched to two burning shortswords, now on his hands.

"You really think you have the advantage here? It's a still three-on-one." Mira challenged.

"Not like I've had worse odds against me. And besides..." He crossed the swords against each other. "...odds like these are my specialty. Make your move."

"If you say so. Just don't cry if we beat you." Nel and Ile charged towards him with their chainsaws. He moved away from each thrust.

"Chainsaws, eh?! Interesting." Kurin focused on Ile, using his swords to make a grab at the chainsaw once he saw an opening and throw it aside.

"No way! You're so strong!" Ile said, looking at her weapon which was firmly planted on the floor. She headed towards it and tried pulling it out. She was met with a knee to the face for her efforts. Her mouth started bleeding, her lips cut.

"Ile!" Both of them said.

Kurin cringed. "Yikes. I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be." Ile said, smirking. "We're here to fight, after all."

Nel aggressively slashed down with her chainsaw. Kurin moved right. He sent a hard left elbow to her side. Nel gasped as she was sent to the floor, the breath taken out of her lungs.

Mira swung with her staff. She caught him off-guard as she did, as Kurin held his side.

"Man, that still hurts." He remarked.

With her wind energy, Mira struck again with her staff against Kurin, blowing him away to the wall. He broke his landing by planting his swords to the wall, landing on his feet. He recovered just as quickly as he had done many times, using the hilts of his swords to propel himself...past the pawns and towards Xuelan.

"Koneko, switch!" He said. The rook nodded, rising up, fist aimed at the three pawns, and slamming to the ground, creating a huge crater as the ground shook heavily. Xuelan kept her balance, however. But she was then met with a punch to her stomach.

' _What in the...his raw physical strength is so powerful, even my increased defense is being ousted by his power!'_ She thought.

"Just...how are you this strong? You're just a pawn!" Xuelan asked.

"Pawn, I may be, but it seems I'm powerful enough to have eight pawns in my body." He said.

' _Eight?!'_ That was what their adversaries thought, including Riser and Yubelluna, who were spectating from their base.

"Yeah." He shrugged. "So, I can sense that you have a power level that is nearly equal to a Queen, even without the piece. No doubt your abilities were also enhanced with the Rook position as well." He said.

Fire fists and cold steel were exchanged as the Rook and Pawn fought. Koneko was holding her own against the three pawns.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another area, three of Riser's pawns arrived in the forested areas of the battlefield.

"This fog...it's making it very hard to see." Burent said. Not a moment later did they trigger a trap, but they quickly anticipated it and avoided them, leaping up high into the air.

"A trap? Did they really think that would work?" Shuriya said, smirking.

"These Gremory fools must be dumber than we thought." Marion said.

"Expect no less from a Rating Game virgin!"

However, despite avoiding the trap, they didn't expect the next one as they continued searching for their opponent's base. And they immediately felt its effects take hold on them.

"Why do I feel slower?"

"Same here. It's like...something heavy's dragging me down."

"Whoa...I feel it too."

" _Trap triggered. Crippling Slow in effect. Second trap triggered. Ilusion Barrier in effect."_ Somehow, Kurin's voice projected throughout their area.

"Crippling...slow?" Shuriya wondered. The trio landed safely on the ground.

"Infinity Barrier?"

"Ah, good. You're here." Yumi said, appearing to the three. She was already holding a sword. "If you're wondering, it wasn't me or Koneko that set the traps. These were set by Kurin. And...let's just say he's got a good moniker before we even knew him. He's a Trap Master. These two traps are enough." She had initiated a stance.

"Even with this hindrance, do you seriously think you can still take on all three of us?" Marion asked.

"Let's find out, then." Yumi challenged, grinning.

Back in the gymnasium, Xuelan was on her knees. Despite being a rook, she was heavily outmatched by her pawn of an opponent. Kurin had given Koneko support by briefly flanking her three opponents before returning to his battle with Xuelan. At this point, the three pawns were becoming drained of the fighting.

"You're...*huff*...really strong..." She said.

"So I've been told." He said. He clasped his hands. "We've had our time here. I'll finish this now. Though...I would like it if we were to talk a lot more freely after." He smiled, closing his eyes. "I'll try to make this as painless as possible." He held out his hands. "Song of Sleep!" A white wave of magic flowed throughout the gym. Once they all got hit with it, their eyes started to become drowsy. They started yawning.

"What...did you do..." Xuelan asked tiredly, rubbing her eyes, looking down, and sitting down. She saw him walk over to her and gently lifted her chin so that she could look into his face and those mesmerizing eyes.

' _Those eyes...they're so...dreamy...'_ She thought, lightly blushing.

"I'm really sorry about all of this. Though I am serious about what I said earlier." He said. He pressed his forehead against hers and then gently laid her down.

"Koneko, let's go." He said. The two left the gymnasium. "Akeno, you're up." He said.

"On it." Dark clouds surround the building. She had a sadistic grin. "It's finally time." She brought down the lightning, and the gymnasium was, for a better term, devastated.

"Three of Riser's Pawns have been retired." Grayfia said.

"And we have our first casualties of this game. And it seems that we may have another group of casualties here, as Yumi is holding off three pawns of Riser's team. Meanwhile, the Rook and Pawn of team Gremory are recovering outside." Sirzechs said.

"Koneko, you alright? You look pretty beaten up." Kurin asked in concern, tending to her bruises and wounds.

"Just a bit hurt. I'll be fine." She said.

"Alright. Just don't push yourself harder than before. We can't risk any one of us being eliminated in this." He said.

"I know that." She said.

"Three of Riser's pawns have been retired." Grayfia said.

"Kiba must've finished them. The traps were used, I assume." He said.

"Yup! Thanks for the traps, Kurin." Yumi said.

"No problem." He then switched receivers. "Rias, the gymnasium's done."

"Good. Continue with the plan." She said.

The two started walking off. However, an explosion was set off. It blew away both, with Koneko taking most of the damage.

"KONEKO!" He yelled, immediately recovering and rushing to the Rook. Her clothes were badly damaged, and so was her body.

"Kurin-kun...I'm sorry I wasn't...strong enough..." She said.

"No no, you did awesome. Don't think of yourself any less than that. You're strong enough for us." He reassuringly said, lightly placing a hand on top of hers. She smiled.

"Thank you...Kurin."

Her body faded away.

"Rias Gremory's Rook has been retired." Grayfia said.

"Oh no...the first casualty of Rias's team. Things will be more difficult without their Rook from here on out." Sirzechs commented.

Kurin stood up and turned to the one responsible.

The Bomb Queen Yubelluna.

"So, Riser finally sent his trump card, eh? I'm guessing he's gonna attack the base himself." He said.

"Yes, that's correct."

"Get going, Kurin-kun." Akeno said. "I'll take care of this one."

He was hesitant, but he eventually relented. "Alright. Be careful."

"Don't worry. You just need to keep going."

Kurin ran ahead...but not before subtly leaving a few things behind.

"I'm going to make you pay for hurting Koneko." Akeno said, hands crackling with lightning.

Yubelluna smirked, her scepter glowing. "It'll be a pleasure to fight you, Priestess of Thunder."

* * *

 **AN: That's the end of part 1 of this Rating Game. Part 2 should be out within the first half of February. I'll be sure of it. No review responses for this chapter, as I'll be doing that after this chapter.**

 **Reaching at least 10k views at this point, I'm just so overwhelmed that so many people read this story and are very interested in it. Thank you.**

 **Updated (Confirmed) list, in no order:**

 **Raynare, Rias, Akeno, Sona, Koneko, Kuroka, Serafall, Yumi, Kalawarner, Xenovia, Asia, Grayfia, Ravel, Seekvaira, Xuelan, Yubelluna**

 **As before, let me know what you thought about this chapter by reviewing below. Leave a fave or a follow if you'd like. I appreciate all the support I'm getting for this story.**

 **See you all next update!**


	9. Rating Game: Gremory vs Phenex, Part 2

**With Koneko out, how will the Gremory team respond to this loss? The Rating Game concludes this chapter!**

 **Kreceir: The Sacred Gear does have some special abilities if its vessel is in a Rating Game, but he'd be willing to defend them with his life, for sure.**

 **Linkonpark100: Eh, I'm not sure.**

 **OechsnerC: You have to remember that these pieces affected by the Undying Remorse will eventually have to be returned, since the Sacred Gear will reject them soon enough. So, in answering your question, it's something more. Much more.**

 **I only own my OCs. Anything else isn't.**

* * *

In her home, Orchintia Anthivale was successfully able to hack into the broadcasting of the Rating Game, now watching the competition unfold.

"Looks like I'm in." Orchintia said as she watched her laptop display the Rating Game. She just witnessed Koneko get taken out.

"And in the thick of things too. Where's Kurin...there he is." She had her hidden camera turn to Kurin. He was running.

"You can make it, Kurin-kun...I know you can win this." She said, a worried yet determined look on her face.

* * *

"Riser's gonna attack our base soon enough, Rias. Without Koneko, it'll be a lot more difficult." Kurin said. He was now hiding in an alley.

"Yes, that much is certain. But...we can't risk anything else." She said.

"Raynare can't just watch there and do nothing. I'll take her with me." He said.

"And what will you do?" She inquired.

"Only way that we can up our chances. I'm gonna attack their base and promote myself. Hopefully it'll be able to hold them off and launch an attack to force him to concede."

"No, we can't force that, especially if you go head-on. But I understand why you need Raynare. Change of plans."

"Alright. What do I do?"

"Divert the enemy's attention to you while I launch a sneak attack on their base with Asia. Take Yumi and Raynare with you for backup."

"It's a bit risky, Rias. Having the King away from their base would warrant danger for you. Are you sure?" Yumi asked.

"Riser will be thinking similarly to that. I'm hoping that the element of surprise will take them off their game." Rias reasoned.

"Way ahead of you, Buchou. I'm heading to Kurin's location now." Raynare said.

"Good. As all of you know, we don't have many options left after losing Koneko. This has to work. Everyone, keep to this plan and do your part well. We can still win."

"Right!"

The three soon met up on the track and field area. As they all shared a nod toward one another, Kurin began laying more traps around the area.

' _Rias better be right about this. But I have a feeling that Riser already has an idea about what we're doing...'_ Kurin thought.

He stood up, the last trap laid out. "Alright. Anyone wanna take a shot at us? We're out here in the open, waiting." He said aloud.

"How foolish." A girl's voice rang out. The three turned to its location.

A girl in knight's armor appeared. "I am Karlamine, a Knight under the service of Riser-sama. To request to be attacked out in the open makes me question your state of mind." She drew her sword. "But if that is what you wish, then you shall have it." Her sword then lit up in flames.

Yumi stepped forward. "Kiba Yumi, Rias-sama's Knight." She also drew her sword. "I hope you're ready because I look forward to do battle with a fellow knight."

"Well said! Then there's no time to waste!" Both knights clashed.

Kurin and Raynare watched on, but both sensed there are others arriving.

"Hmph. Karlamine as always. Obsessed with swords." Kurin heard. He recognized it. The duo then noticed all the other remaining participants circle around them.

"She was bothered with the other pieces that we sacrificed. Now she's up and fighting another sword-obsessed individual." She continued.

"Ravel. Sensing your level, you're a Bishop." Kurin said. "And I see the others are here too." He smirked.

"Don't think of fighting me. I have no intention of fighting here. Instead, you'll face her. Isabela!" Ravel called out.

The orange-haired girl with the mask stepped forward. "I'm Isabela, Riser-sama's Rook. Prepare to fight, Pawn of Gremory!" She charged.

"Oh are you kidding me?!" Kurin said, exasperated, facepalming. He snapped his fingers.

Underneath Isabela, a cage appeared, stopping her in her tracks.

" _Trap activated. Time Cage in effect. Lightning Shock in 10...9...8..."_ The sound of Kurin's voice rang in the cage.

"What?!" She asked, panicked.

"Ever bothered to check for traps?" Kurin asked.

"Isabela, NO!" Ravel said. The rook tried to fight her way out of the cage, but it wasn't doing any effect.

" _...2...1...Lightning Shock activated."_ The cage shocked Isabela, and she screamed in pain.

"Too much." Kurin noted. He sighed. "I'm really sorry."

The cage disappeared, and Isabela dropped to the ground, with Kurin catching her before she dropped.

"Rest." He said, lightly touching her forehead. She fell asleep, eventually fading away.

"Riser's remaining Rook has retired." Grayfia said.

"Impressive from Salamencia-san. We're slowly understanding now why he's called a Trap Master, and it showed here!" Sirzechs said. "How will Riser's remaining pieces react?"

"You...you're gonna pay!" Ravel said.

"Well, if you want to make me pay, then fight me!" He challenged. Ravel was taken aback.

"Don't worry, Ravel-sama. We'll fight for you and Riser-sama!" Mihae said. The others nodded.

"Then let's go at it!" The Knight and Pawn duo said. The six charged at each other.

* * *

Rias and Asia arrived inside the New School Building.

"Hello, dearest Rias." Riser said, looking at the two from the second floor.

"Riser...so you did expect us." She said, holding Asia behind her. The two then began their battle, which eventually went to the outside.

Back outside, Ni and Siris, Riser's pawn and knight, took charge and attacked Kurin. Raynare meanwhile fought against Li and Mihae.

Mihae used her magic capabilities to send blasts of magic towards the Fallen Angel. Raynare fought back by using her light spears, creating and throwing one every half-second. Kurin meanwhile fought using armblades, negating Ni's close-range fighting abilities, but Siris made it tougher for him with her swordfighting, as this allowed Ni to get close to him and give a few hits.

"How?! How is it that you have so many Sacred Gears?! The swords you have..." Karlamine said, shocked as for each sword destroyed, Yumi simply created another.

"These aren't Sacred Gears. I can simply create so many swords. I have Sword Birth. You'll be done for in time." Yumi said, and they clashed again, with Yumi gaining the upper hand this time.

As they fought, Kurin noticed at the courtyard the two Queens' battle. Both were nearly drained, and it showed through the damage in their bodies and clothing. However, he noticed Yubelluna pull out an item. One which he knew very well.

' _A Phoenix Tear! Damn it, Akeno can't take any more damage if Yubelluna's fully healed! I have to get to her!'_ The pawn thought. Looking back at his two opponents, he opted to end it quickly.

"Damn, I didn't want to do this, girls, but I'm sorry." He pulled back and formed his hands together. "Surrender to my will! Coalescence!" A beam of white and black energy shot out of his hands. It struck both his opponents, blasting them away, the energy beam penetrating through them.

Ni and Siris coughed out blood. "H...how..." Ni gasped out.

"Impossible..." Siris said. Both collapsed and faded.

"Ni!" Li said.

"We lost two more." Ravel said.

"Whoa..." Raynare and Yumi said, surprised.

"One of Riser's pawns has been retired. One of Riser's knights has been retired." Grayfia said.

"That was unexpected. Kurin's magic capabilities has also grown." Tsubaki said.

"He's full of surprises. But I think he's gonna need to keep thinking on his feet to keep at it. He's quickly heading to where Akeno and Yubelluna are now." Sona said.

"This is the end for you, Priestess of Thunder." Yubelluna said, having used the Tear and fully recovered from it.

"Then finish it." Akeno said, drained. _'Looks like...my time's up...'_ She thought. However, she noticed Kurin jump at her. _'Kurin? What are you doing...wait, what is he doing?!'_

Yubelluna created another explosion, but Kurin arrived in time. "Shield!" He threw out an item, and it turned into a big shield, covering Akeno.

"GRAAAAHHHHHH!" Kurin yelled out. He took the brunt of the blast. He fell.

"KURIN!" Akeno called out. Yubelluna looked on in surprise.

' _He did that for her...knowing that he'd take the full effect of the explosion...'_ She thought.

Crashing to the ground, he held out his hand, looking up at the sky.

 _ **[That...was foolish.]**_ Sellorion said. He chuckled.

' _Don't get me started.'_

"Damn it Kurin, you should've let me take the blast!" Akeno said, coming down to him.

"And let you get hit when there's still a chance to save you? Like as if I'd let that happen." He said. "Rias...Akeno's saved."

"Kurin, what did you do?!" Rias asked warily.

"You idiot! Why?!" Raynare said as she fought off the two.

"I had to. Yumi, are you there?" He asked.

"I'm here. What is it?"

"Use all your strength of Sword Birth, now!" He instructed.

Yumi hesitated. "A...alright. If you say so! Sword Birth!" She planted her sword on the ground.

" _Pure Damage Amplification Buff, activated. Sword Birth...enhanced."_

All of a sudden, numerous swords rose from beneath the Earth. Ravel was able to avoid it once she saw them coming, but the others weren't so lucky. Karlamine, Li, and Mihae were taken, and they all were subsequently stabbed through their guts.

"Riser's Knight, Pawn, and one Bishop, retired." Grayfia said. Sirzechs could only look on with wide eyes. He was impressed.

"No words. I am speechless." He could only say. _'_ _This kid...he's more capable than I thought.'_

"His abilities as a Trap Master aren't just limited to _traps_ alone, it seems." Sona commented.

"How's that, Riser? We now outnumber you six to three." Rias said. They were now standing opposite each other on the roof of the New School Building, with Asia firmly behind Rias.

He only smirked in response. "Is that so? Yubelluna, end them." Riser instructed as he watched his opposing King and Bishop from the other side of the roof.

"But Riser-sama..."

"Now."

"As...as you wish." She created multiple explosions, directed at each of their opponents save for Rias and Asia. _'I'm sorry.'_

Yubelluna retreated to her king. Ravel watched from the bottom her brother facing Rias. The explosions sounded off. Akeno fell. Yumi fell. Raynare, fortunately, escaped the blast, though not unscathed. As for Kurin...

There were a few seconds of silence as the dust floated around their bodies. "Rias's Queen, one of her Knights, and her Pawn have been...retired...?" Grayfia trailed, unsure at the sight. Even Sirzechs was surprised.

The dust settled, and Kurin slowly stood up. "Like I'm gonna let myself be ended here..." Kurin said. The cuts and wounds on his body were slowly being healed.

"Impossible..." Everyone was shocked. It made Sona stand up as she couldn't believe her eyes.

 _ **[I'd like to point out, though, that you still died, Kurin. You didn't retire, but instead you actually died. As a result, your power may be diminished slightly.]**_ Sellorion said.

' _I know. I felt it.'_

"I'm coming, Rias." He silently said, his walk going to a full sprint.

However, even though his wounds had healed...

"Oooof!"

...his energy wasn't replenished. He collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. Raynare helped him up, but he got onto his knees.

They all heard the review of the game, and who was left. Only Rias, Asia, Raynare, and Kurin were left on their side. Only Riser, Yubelluna, and Ravel were left on their side. But still, Riser still had the advantage against them.

Upon hearing the entire commentary, Riser smirked at his opposing King. "Did you hear that, Rias? Despite you having the numerical advantage, I can still be able to beat you. And once this is done, this marriage will be fulfilled."

"Asia, stay behind me!" Rias instructed. She felt Asia's fear. Whether the redhead wanted to admit it or not, she was afraid as well.

Kurin's heart was pounding. "DAMN IT!" He slammed his fist to the ground. He had almost no energy left. He stood up, his breathing returning to normal. "Raynare, provide diversion to his queen. I'm gonna do something crazy." He instructed.

After a few seconds of silence, he heard from her, "Okay, Kurin. I hope you know what you're doing." He heard wings blazing from the other end.

He closed his eyes. He held the pendant beneath his clothes. _'Sellorion...it's time.'_ He said within himself.

 _ **[Are you sure? You've never tested this power yet. At least not against opposition like this.]**_ The embodiment asked, concerned.

' _I can't let Riser win. I have to put all my faith into this final move.'_ He said to him.

Sellorion sighed. _**[Alright, kid. It's a risk, but since you really do want Rias to win...I hope things turn out well.]**_

Kurin's body glowed red on one side, and cyan on the other. Ravel noticed this.

"H-hey, what are you doing?! You're going to lose regardless!" She said.

He turned to the short blonde girl. "Something you've all never seen before." The glow became brighter. This did not go unnoticed by the two Kings on the roof, along with Asia.

"What is that brat doing?! Yubelluna, stop him!" Riser instructed to his queen. Before she could react, though, Raynare appeared, throwing a spear between the two.

"Sorry, Bomb Queen, but your focus is on me!" She said. "You're not gonna get to him unless you get past me!" Another spear was created, holding it firmly.

"Hmph, so be it." She said.

All the while, Rias was looking at the glowing human with worry. _'Kurin...you're really not giving up? Even when the odds look so bleak? Be careful...please.'_

' _Sellorion, how long do I have for me to hold?'_ He asked.

 _ **[Fifteen minutes.]**_

With a defiant smirk on his face, he stated to him, _'More than long enough for one last desperation move.'_

The glow engulfed the entire field. Even those watching from the screens were shielding their eyes from the red/cyan light.

When the glow faded, Kurin was no more.

' _Where is he?'_ That was the thought on everyone watching the battle alongside its participants.

They heard his voice from inside. He was actually inside the building. "Promotion: QUEEN!" He felt a surge of power course through him. He charged through the roof. He was now staring through the Phenex noble.

Everyone gasped and widened their eyes in shock at the sight of him.

This time, he had a cyan aura enveloped around him, and he now had red wings on his back. His hands were also engulfed in red (left) and cyan (right) energy.

* * *

 _(On the first training day, nighttime)_

 _ **[Do you have a trump card that you'll unleash?]**_ Sellorion asked. It was nighttime, and everyone was sleeping at the house they were staying at for training. Only Kurin stayed awake.

' _You remember my wings?'_

 _ **[Those? Ah, I remember. I could still remember the shock I had when I first saw you with them. And I still remember how you reacted to what you looked like. You said you're basically a human Salamence from Pokemon, with the cyan aura and curved red wings not unlike that Dragon-type.]**_ He fondly laughed at the fun memory. Kurin turned red from that.

' _Hey! I've accepted that fact now, you know. But I remembered how I couldn't control my flying back then. Back when they were...still here. But enough of that. I need to improve that now. The power boost from activating this hidden power...I need to increase the limit I have. I had like, what, ten minutes? I want to improve that to at least fifteen to twenty.'_ He said to him. _'Will you help me?'_

 _ **[I've had my history of flight before. I'll help and guide you in controlling it. Remember that if you want to increase your time limit, though, you'll have to purposely drain and force yourself to exert more effort to extend it. It'll be difficult, but I'm sure you can handle it.]**_

' _Thanks, Sel. You're the best.'_

 _ **[Don't mention it.]**_ He said. He then proudly said to himself, **_[Admittedly, you've been my best friend in a long time. When we part, I'll miss you, but I'm not gonna let you go without a fight, kid.]_**

Kurin glowed, and then the wings appeared on his back. They started their nightly training.

 _ **[Ahhh, be careful with the wind! They can fuck up your flying capabilities and mess you up, tossing you around!]**_

' _I'm beginning to understand why! AHHHHHHH!'_

* * *

"Surprised?" He asked, smirking. He now had full control of his flight after ten rigorous days, and he also improved in some areas with this ability.

Riser was the most surprised of them all in the battlefield. "A human having _wings_?! That can't be possible!"

' _His wings...so majestic...'_ The girls thought. He looked to them and smiled, waving his hand. They blushed. He turned his focus to Riser, now serious.

"Let's face off, then. This fight. This will be all that matters."

"Gladly."

Riser flew up to his level. Kurin struck first, punching him in the face with his right hand with inhuman speed. Riser responded with a flaming fist at his stomach. Kurin recoiled, but he flew past him, using his sharp wings to cut him at his sides.

He wasn't healing as fast as he'd like, and he wondered why. But he couldn't just lose focus. He needed to beat Kurin and show him why Riser can't lose. When he saw Kurin fly away from him, he was outright _infuriated_. No one should run away like a coward from Riser Phenex!

"Get back here, fool!" He said, chasing him.

' _I'm not gonna win with my power alone. I'm gonna win with everything else I have in my arsenal, and that includes...'_ He looked back to see Riser still chasing him. Once he saw him in a certain spot, his eyes lit up. _'There!'_ He snapped his fingers.

" _Traps activated."_

"What?" A multitude of attacks were unleashed, and Riser couldn't comprehend the speed of these attacks, and he did his best to avoid them. Kurin stopped flying and watched him avoid all of them. Surprisingly, he did avoid all of them.

"None of your traps and tricks could ever stop me, even if they do hit. I'm a Phenex, the representation of a Phoenix, rising from the ashes. With the regeneration, I'm nigh-unstoppable! I can't lose!" Riser boasted.

"Then luckily this 'trick' can." Kurin said. He raised his hand and sent it down.

Suddenly the sky turned dark gray. _"Trap activated. Holy Metal Rain in effect."_ A flurry of caltrops pelted Riser, as he was too drained to even move away. Only his wings were holding him up, but they were taking damage as well.

' _Holy...Metal Rain...he made this trap specifically for devils! No! NOOOOOO!'_ Riser thought in horror. He couldn't heal this time, and the number of cuts on his body were growing by the second. When the trap's duration expired, Riser was left bleeding profusely. He collapsed to the ground. Kurin softly landed with his wings.

"I...I can't lose...this Rating Game...it is for the future of all Devils..." Riser said, though at this point he was even lucky to speak.

"As I said, there's other ways we can do to fix that issue. We'll all come to that in time." He crouched down. "Now, this...this was to serve you a lesson, Riser Phenex. I don't care how strong you are. I don't care how many girls you have in your peerage. Your attitude, should it not change, may be the cause of your downfall. Respect the people around you. More importantly, respect the girls you have, or else you may lose them. You, who's so high up in the sky with your wins, couldn't even keep your feet on the ground. Don't take things for granted. More importantly..." He smiled. "Be kind. There's no harm in being kind. Still, we have to honor our bet. Do you concede?"

It gave him a lot to think about, that was for sure. For now...

"Kurin Salamencia...Pawn of Rias Gremory...you did good. Impressive, even." He said, smirking. He slowly and painfully held out his hand "I concede." Kurin shook hands with his. He faded away.

"Riser Phenex has surrendered. The winner of this Rating Game is Rias Gremory!" Grayfia said.

Kurin's wings faded, and he was brought to his knees again.

" _Ugh...I'm gonna need to get used to that. I don't think this'll be the last time I'm gonna use this power.'_ He thought to himself as he depleted nearly all of his magic reserves for the wings. Looking on, he saw Rias, Asia, and Raynare heading towards him. Yubelluna and Ravel followed soon after.

Before he had time to react, the three girls all tackled him in an embrace shared by the four.

"Whoa, take it easy! I just nearly had all my energy gone!" He said, trying to wrap his arms around his girls.

"We were so worried when you just flew off like that!" Raynare said.

"To think..." Ravel said, looking up at her Queen. "He actually beat my brother. It almost looked one-sided, in fact. And he was a Pawn that promoted himself to Queen. But...I wonder if he really needed the promotion."

"He didn't need to. I sensed his power from the start. He...he's really strong. We are probably lucky that he was only a Pawn. He could've wiped us from the start if he wasn't limited by the Pawns in his body and if he wanted to. Now...I've seen and understood at least a grasp of who he is now." The Bomb Queen said.

In the room where the two are, Sirzechs noticed the twinkle in Grayfia's eyes. He knew that his best friend was impressed by this display. While they had some doubts whether or not Kurin could help his little sister win, after this one, there wasn't any doubt now. _'Whether he knows it or not, he's slowly winning Grayfia-chan over...'_ He smiled, looking back at the screen focused on Kurin. _'I may have to find a new Queen soon...'_

* * *

Orchintia was jumping with joy. She was happy that the person she had bonded with was able to win. "I knew it! You did it, Kurin-kun! I had faith that you and your team can win!"

"What have you learned about him?" A voice rang out from her cellphone. She stopped cheering and looked at the phone with doubt. While she knew the time was coming soon, she didn't want the guy who had helped her so much fall down into these schemes.

For now, she ignored the phone. "Hey, are you listening to me?! Answer and tell me what you have learned!" The voice droned out, but Orchintia muted it, opting to enjoy these moments for now, at least before the time comes. The worry was etched on her face, but she chose to ignore the worry and be happy for the human.

She will have to face it, though, soon enough.

Back in the broadcasting room, the two Student Council officers watched as the game concluded. "Sona, it seems what you said came true..." Tsubaki said as she turned to face her.

"The strategies he employed...the traps...all of those other traps he laid in the beginning of the game, it wasn't intended for any of the front line pieces...it was intended for Riser all along. He had planned nearly all of his backups from the start." Sona said, watching the recap. _'Kurin...'_

"I think I'll rest for now..." Kurin said, collapsing as he did before being caught by Raynare and Rias.

"Let's all head back home." Rias said. The circle glowed beneath all the remaining participants and everyone disappeared, as did the entire field.

* * *

When Kurin woke up, he saw that his shoulders were wrapped in bandages, as was his back. The first person he saw was Riser.

"Well, hello there, burnt chicken." He greeted. Riser chuckled.

"Greetings to you as well, Salamencia-san. You've been out for about five hours." He said. "I'm not going to bother how you and Raynare-san entered the game while still retaining your original race. As I see it, you two were still following the rules, since there wasn't any rule stating that only _Devils_ can participate. I further discussed the terms of our bet, my loss specifically, with my peerage, and I honored it. I allowed whoever didn't want to stay with me anymore to leave. If they had decided to join you instead, then that would be better, as I don't think I could trust anyone else with any of the girls than you. They considered joining you, you know."

"R-really? I actually didn't think that some of them would leave." Kurin said.

Upon hearing that, Riser sighed, walking away from him and to the window, looking out to the field. "Pondering about your words, Kurin...you were right. I had grown too arrogant. The victories I had of my Rating Games made me forget the lesson of humility. As a result, I did begin treating the girls a bit worse than when we had started. I thought I could beat anyone. You proved me wrong. I talked to my father after the game, and he agreed with your words, saying that this was the loss I needed to snap me out of my deluded prideful reverie. For that, I thank you."

"You just gotta stay humble from here on out, man. Now, if you don't mind me asking...who left your peerage?" He sat up.

"Five of them. Mira, Isabela, Xuelan, Ravel, and Yubelluna." He stated. Kurin's eyes grew wide with shock. Sellorion laughed.

"No. There's no way I could accept-" Kurin said before the Phenex heir interrupted him.

"It's still our agreement, Salamencia-san. You have no choice but to accept it. I honored my end of the loss, so you must honor your end of your victory. Besides, I can simply look for formidable individuals to regain what I've lost."

Try, try as he might, Kurin couldn't find a way to counter that. He decided to just go with it. "Talk about turning your own words against you. Not like I've got a choice." He said, smiling and sheepishly scratching his head after.

"I have my faith in you, boy. You can be able to take care of those girls better than I ever could." He said. He then began walking away. "You have a great road ahead of you, Kurin Salamencia. Your future looks bright. I'll be sure to keep your words to heart and take better care of my girls. Also, take care of Rias-sama. She's part of your responsibility now. And thank you...Cyan/Red Terror." He left the room.

"I will too." Kurin said. "Wait, Cyan/Red Terror?!"

Sellorion chuckled. _**[Looks like you got yourself not only some new girls to get to know and love, but a new title as well. Not too bad for your first Rating Game, kid.]**_

To this, Kurin just groaned. _'More trouble. And I don't even know how I'm gonna fit any of the girls in my small house when Raynare and Kalawarner are in there already...'_

* * *

Two people met in a secluded place. One was a blue-haired, red-eyed Fallen Angel. The other was a short, fat human wearing church robes. They were Kokabiel and Valper Galilei, respectively.

"Is progress moving along well with the swords?" The Fallen Angel asked.

"Faster than we had anticipated. It's going to be ready in a short amount of time." Valper said. Kokabiel madly grinned.

"Good. With the swords, I'll be able to wage war with the Devils and Angels. That damned fool Azazel thinks that peace is good, while he researches these Sacred Gear. He'll learn his place. We've had nothing but silence for too long."

"The swords will be ready. And we have our tester here." From the shadows, a familiar man walked in, facing the two of them. He had that insane look on his face, as usual. His white robes were stained in blood.

"And I'll be glad to cut down everyone in my way to fulfill this." Freed Sellzen said, laughing as he did.

* * *

Days passed since the Rating Game. Life had returned to what they perceived as normal. It took some time, but Kurin and Raynare helped the five former members of Riser's peerage in getting accustomed to the way of living in the human world.

Kurin stood at the edge of the roof of his house. Looking at the pendant on his hand, he smiled as he gazed at it. _'_ _I think meeting Raynare-chan and Rias-chan has helped change my life for the better. I hope you guys approve.'_

 _ **[I'm sure they already have.]**_ Sellorion assured.

"Kurin?" Someone called out to him. He turned around.

"Xuelan. What brings you here?"

"Word travels fast. The Rating Game between Riser and Rias had become the talk of the devil world. And one thing was singled out in that chaos: you. They said that they hadn't seen anyone become so proficient at traps and amplifications. They also found out that you're still human, which was also a shock to them. Looks like you're making a name for yourself." She said.

"Nothing I can do to stop them. I've learned during my time with Rias and Raynare to just let things take its course."

"Does that include their advances towards you? You let them kiss you?" She teasingly asked. He blushed.

"I...I...g-guess..." He stuttered.

"I don't blame them if they couldn't stop themselves. You're so kind, helpful, and _so_ easy on the eyes, Kurin-kun~" She purred, getting close to him.

He squirmed. He still wasn't used to getting this close with girls, save for Raynare, but even that took some time to get used to.

The former Rook giggled and moved away from him. "Will you take me on a date?" She asked.

Kurin was taken aback by her proposal. In fact, he was so taken aback by it that he lost his footing on the edge of the roof and fell. Xuelan tried to catch him but she wasn't fast enough. Luckily, he immediately brought out his wings.

She had an apologetic look on her face, feeling very ashamed. He just smiled and flew closer to her, embracing her. "It's alright. I'll take you up on that offer, but I'll have to set a certain day. That alright?"

Her face softened at that. "Being with you is more than enough. These past few days of you helping us has been a big assistance to getting used living here in the human world. I want to know you more, you know? Not just for what you did in the game, but because I do want to know _you_." She then nuzzled her face onto his chest. "It's different being with you compared to being with Riser. Riser...he's a decent guy, don't get me wrong, but...with you, I feel something...different. Something special." He felt her smile. He held her closer.

"I'll let you know when we'll have that date."

Rias was about to approach him, but when she saw the two together, she couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. She waited for them to finish talking to one another.

"Ah, Rias." Xuelan said as she walked back inside the house. Rias warmly smiled.

"Hey, Xuelan." She greeted. "Better get going. I think Ravel's calling you."

"Ah, really? Alright, better go see what she's up to."

Rias took a deep breath and walked outside to see him. He was sitting, waiting for her.

"Took you long enough. Been a few days since the game, yeah?"

She nodded. "It has been. You've been quite the popular one back home." She said, smiling.

"I heard."

She looked down. "I kept wondering about it until now, but why did you do it? Why did you willingly risk yourself like that? I'm talking about both participating in the Rating Game and making that bet with Riser. You didn't have to do it, since you're not my servant." She asked, looking at the pieces she had. The Knight piece Raynare was holding along with the eight Pawn pieces that Kurin held were returned to her after the time limit Sellorion had.

He gave a smile, which she had fallen for in so long. "I did it because I just wanted to. Rias-chan, you mean so much more to me than just being a friend. I knew that if I didn't do anything to stop this from happening, I won't forgive myself for just standing there and doing nothing. And as for the bet...I have to admit I probably wasn't thinking to straight for that, recovering from death and all, but I did take advantage of Riser's mindset at the time. I had full confidence in all of you that you could win. And I was right."

"Kurin-kun..." She laid a hand on top of his. "Thank you. For all you've done. I hope you don't mind me doing this..." She leaned in and kissed him, caressing his face. He at first widened his eyes at her actions, but he just let himself fall into the moment and kissed her back.

Once they pulled away, they panted heavily. It took them quite a few seconds to catch their breaths.

"That was my first kiss." She remarked.

"Then I'm glad to have been your first."

"Could we...you know..." She nervously said.

"Way ahead of you." This time he was the one who lightly cupped her face in his hands and initiated the kiss.

 _ **[Finally!]** _ It was all the embodiment of the Undying Remorse could say. And let's face it: what else could he say that could capture his joy at that moment?

For this immortal being, it was perfect.

* * *

 **AN: I actually had this chapter ready to go since two days ago, but the site seemed to have a bug at the time that couldn't let me put up the document to edit the chapter. At least they fixed it up now.**

 **So, he has wings! Kurin's secret ability is that he can grow wings on his back, along with a few other buffs during the time he has wings. And it's _not_ from the Sacred Gear, I should add. Though he couldn't just use them a lot of times, since it would leave him exhausted after, especially during fighting.**

 **I'm probably gonna put the next chapter (and the start of the next arc, Excalibur!) by the latter half of February. I'll be a lot more busy during this time, so I may not be able to write up the chapters this quickly.**

 **As before, let me know your thoughts in the reviews below. They are a big help.**

 **See you next update!**


	10. Sunday

_**Just a little warning before we start, this chapter contains a lemon scene.**_

* * *

"Morning, Rias-chan. Morning, Ray-chan." Kurin greeted the two nude girls on his bed, his arms wrapped around them, being careful not to touch their tantalizing breasts, which he barely resisted the urge to, keeping themselves intact. "While I understand my girlfriend being here, why are you here, Rias?" It was a little surprising for Rias that he was taking this rather well.

"Good morning, Kurin-kun." Both greeted.

Rias added, "From now on, I'll be moving here with you."

He looked up to the lights on his bedroom. "You're kidding me. Knowing you regarding these things, you're not." The redhead simply just giggled.

' _I sincerely hope no one else is gonna move here to live with me. No way could this house support more than two people already.'_ He thought to himself, a small smile crossing his face.

Well, he couldn't get any more wrong than that.

Still, he couldn't believe the way his life had gone through these past few weeks. Sure he had been prepared for this, but one just couldn't really expect it. Having a Fallen Angel as a girlfriend, fighting out a noble member of a Devil House for the sake of another devil, learning more powers, balancing out the other girls who are attracted to him, he knew all that preparation was thrown out of the window when it all happened. He still accepted it with a calm demeanor, just as how he would always do.

It was a very early Sunday, so there was a lot of time before they began the day. He decided to make breakfast.

"Alright, I know it feels nice cuddling me, you two having no clothes and all, but it's time to let me go. I'm making us food."

In response, the two girls just snuggled up closer to him. "Oh come on!" He said, cheeks flushed and glowing red.

"You're so warm..." Rias dreamily said.

"I told you so, you know...just one of the perks of having him as a boyfriend." Raynare said.

' _Someone get me out of here please...I really need to cook!'_ He pleaded, his desire to make food almost overwhelming him.

Luckily, someone was there to save him as his savior slammed open the door. It just wasn't who he was expecting.

"Good morning Kurin-kun—AHHH!" Greeted and shrieked the would-be savior.

"Oh thank goodness you're here—Xuelan?!" Kurin widened his eyes upon seeing her. He did _not_ expect to see her until the day of their date, which was in four days.

All four stopped and looked at each other.

"Well...this is awkward." Kurin spoke. "Let me guess, you're moving in too?" The qipao-clad girl nodded. He sighed.

"Alright, then. Nothing I can do." He shrugged and smiled. "How about I make you all breakfast?"

This time the two girlfriends let him go.

* * *

The four sat across each other by the dinner table, eating.

"So..." Kurin turned to the three. "Any _other_ secrets I should know? Anyone else moving here?" He asked with a grin. He really didn't mind any of them moving in with him. He would've liked it if they told him beforehand.

He got his answer when he heard yawning from the stairs. He eventually saw the next person arrive at the dinner table: Asia. She was in her pajamas, clearly having just woken up minutes ago.

"Morning, Kurin-kun. Morning Raynare-chan. Morning Rias-chan. Morning Xuelan-san." She greeted each of them.

"Good morning, Asia-chan. Where'd you sleep last night?"

"I shared a room with Xuelan-san and Kalawarner-san." She explained rather cheerily, sitting next to said roommate and starting to eat.

"Well that explains how you slept here. Still, I really wished that you guys told me before you moved in. I just didn't expect any of this. If I did, I sure as heck would've bought more food." He said with a light chuckle.

Once they were all done, he collected all their plates and proceeded to wash them. "Any ORC meetings today, Rias?" He called from the kitchen.

"Actually, yes. However, I ask permission to use your house as the place for today's meeting." She said.

"Hm? I don't mind, but what's up with the old building?" He asked.

"We have it under renovation for the time being, so until it's done, I'd want to use your home as the temporary headquarters." She explained.

He shrugged, smiling. "Alright. Well, you guys better get to bathing. I'll finish things up here. We've got about two hours before we really start our weekend."

"Maybe you could join us when you're done." She teased as she left him to his doing. Unbeknownst to her, he was blushing hard from her suggestion.

 _ **[I'm not gonna watch you do it, so don't worry.]**_ Sellorion popped up, scaring Kurin out of his wits.

' _Fuck! Gods damn it, Sel. I thought you'd be asleep this entire day.'_ He told him.

 _ **[I'm a bit restless at the moment, so I thought scaring you off would take that off my body.]**_ He gave an excuse, chuckling as he did.

' _There are better ways to get that extra energy off, you know.'_

 _ **[True, but no doubt this was the most humorous I came up with.]**_ He then left him to himself.

' _That idiotic being is gonna get me killed for real one day.'_ Kurin thought, a smirk appearing on his face. Once finished, he proceeded to the bathroom in his room upstairs, ready for a bath. Now shirtless, he opened the door, which was surprisingly unlocked…

...and found himself immediately regretting opening it. There stood both his Fallen Angel girlfriend and his redheaded girlfriend naked, wrapping themselves in their towels. He stood, staring, face flushed with a hidden desire. He was really hard right now. He let out a sharp, but faint gasp at the sight.

However, he was still resisting the urge to just take them then and there and give them unimaginable pleasure. He was still human, and he was still a teenager, so his hormones would obviously be flared up. Not to mention the unpredictability of his Sacred Gear's embodiment. It was his iron will just barely resisting that urge. That, and the various lessons he's learned from his guardians.

"Liking the show, Kurin-kun?" Raynare asked, having stopped wrapping the towel around her, letting it drop, revealing her voluptuous body to her boyfriend, teasingly grinning at him. He shut his eyes, trying to avert his gaze.

Rias smirked. "Not enough, beloved?" She approached him, circling him until she reached behind him, caressing his upper body, her breasts pressing onto his back. "You don't have to fight it, you know..." She suggestively said, a finger tracing down his chest.

Kurin's body was on fire at this point. He almost couldn't take the teasing his two girlfriends were giving him. He could take the teasing of one girlfriend, but two at the same time gave him no chance to fight back. He then saw Raynare approach him this time, stopping in front of him. She took one of his hands and placed it on one of her breasts. She felt him unconsciously squeeze it, causing her to let out a moan.

"Oh my..." She said, her face contorting into one of amusement at seeing him this embarrassed.

' _Oh dear gods, forgive me...'_ Kurin thought to himself, knowing what he's gonna do. Hopefully he won't regret this.

 **(LEMON START)**

He suddenly opened his eyes and quickly and hungrily kissed Raynare, his other arm wrapped around her waist, drawing her closer to him. Although surprised, the Fallen Angel gave a sigh of satisfaction as she kissed him back with equal fervor. She prodded his lips with her tongue, begging for entrance to his mouth, to which he happily complied. Rias, not wanting to be left out, began kissing and sucking on his neck. Kurin had to pull away from the raven-haired woman to let out a moan.

"Ah, Raynare, Rias..." He breathed out. The hand that was groping Raynare moved to Rias's body, touching and gripping her breasts before eventually lowering his hand down to her lower body, fingering her pussy. She let out a long moan this time, and Kurin returned to kiss his angelic girlfriend once more, while his other hand also began fingering her womanhood. Both ladies moaned, to the undying human's great delight. He loved hearing their moans, and it pushed him to go even further with them. Stopping his kiss with Raynare, he lowered himself to her chest and buried his face in her cleavage, kissing and licking her chest. sucked on one of her nipples, circling his tongue around it. Raynare gasped at the contact and breathed heavily, her face reddening.

He released his hold on her breast with a pop, but only for a few moments to speak to Rias. "Rias, why don't you help me with Raynare here. She deserves a nice reward for getting us all together, you know." He requested, a perverted grin on his face.

Rias returned that grin with a smile that radiated pure lust. "Of course, love. If it wasn't for her, none of this would've happened." With that Kurin removed his fingers from her pussy, allowing Rias to walk towards the busty ravenette, while Kurin himself resumed his hold on Raynare's left breast, his fingers now also focused on her clit. Rias took the other breast that wasn't occupied by the boy and sucked it herself, both lovers giving light kisses on her breasts.

"Oh gods…this is so unfaiiiiiir...double teaming meeeeeee...nghhhhhh, hahhhhh..." Raynare said, stretching out her moans. Kurin grinned at that.

"You'll get your turn soon." He said, now going back up to kiss her neck. He sucked on the bare flesh, leaving a few hickeys to mark her. Satisfied with that, he lowered back down to her pussy, which was extremely aroused and then gave a long lick with his tongue while his hands gripped her ass. At the sudden contact with his cool tongue, Raynare had to cover her mouth to avoid screaming in pleasure. He then began to eat her out, his tongue lashing inside her womanhood.

With both Kurin and Rias giving her so much, it didn't take long for her first orgasm to release.

"I'm...I'm gonna...I'm gonna cum! Oh gods!" She shrieked, which only caused Kurin to go faster, burying his face into her thighs. Rias meanwhile reached up to Raynare and kissed her.

She came, her juices being lapped up by Kurin's hungry mouth. Her legs were turning into jelly, almost being unable to stand up from this much happening to her. Kurin then stood up and kissed both girls in a three-way kiss. Both girls' arousal heightened from the kiss, more so for Raynare, tasting herself on Kurin's tongue. Unable to keep herself up, Raynare collapsed from the pleasure, but Kurin was able to catch her.

"Don't worry, I got you." He said. He then leaned closer to her. "Remember what I said about you getting your turn?" He asked. She nodded. He turned to Rias and then back to her, a devious grin on his face. Raynare immediately understood, gaining a sinister grin of her own. Rias looked at the couple and felt nervous, their lust-filled gazes and her nervousness only serving to increase her arousal.

' _It feels like they're about to pounce on me like I'm their last meal...oh Maou I can't wait for them to do so...'_ She thought, slowly backing away from them as they slowly walked themselves towards her until her back was now against the wall.

"Well, Raynare had her turn." Kurin said. "Now it's yours."

Without a second too soon, they both grabbed her away from the wall and Rias's back gently met the floor. Rias gasped. Immediately Kurin started roaming his hands around her body, his eyes looking up to see her flustered face.

"I think I've resisted for far too long." He said, reaching up to her, whispering to her ear, "You have no idea the things I want to do to you, dearie." He nibbled on her left earlobe, causing her to moan and unconsciously grind herself on his still clothed dick. This caused the young man to let out a groan of approval.

Raynare meanwhile was busy fondling the redhead's chest. After what the two had done to her, she was content to be the one giving the pleasure to the girl. While she was doing so, she already had a plan formed in her head on pleasuring her boyfriend, and much like this and the previous time, she'd need her other partner's help. She already told her redheaded partner, and it was just a matter of time before they went on him. She just had to be patient. She applied light kisses to her breasts, cupping them as she did.

' _Payback for what they did to me earlier.'_ She pervertedly thought with a giggle.

Kurin then walked around her until he was behind her. He aided Raynare in fondling her breasts, while his other hand was planted on her firm ass. "You are too perfect, just like Ray-chan, you know." He started to roam his hands once more. "Your hips, your ass, your breasts, your stomach, your face...everything about you is perfect." He said as his hands caressed each part that he mentioned, which caused her to blush even more. He turned her head to greet him in a kiss.

"Falling in love with you made me one of the luckiest people in the world. I want to give you so much." He huskily whispered, peppering kisses onto her neck and sucking on it, leaving a few marks much like Raynare.

Rias's mind was almost blacking out from the attention they were giving to her. His fingers felt magical. She couldn't form many words. Both the human and the fallen angel found how really sensitive she was to their actions, but considering this was her first time being done, it was understandable. Except that, aside from what had happened in the beginning, neither of them hadn't even touched her down there yet! She was just that sensitive.

Her mind was sane enough, though, to form some words. "Nnnnggghhh...how...are you so...ahhhh!-good at this?! Isn't this...your first time too?" She asked, moaning and panting.

"Hehe, admittedly, I've read a few of 'those' magazines. Not to mention I've also read some _very_ smutty works that I'd rather do than tell you." Kurin said, somewhat embarrassed.

"Don't feel embarrassed, Ku-kun. It's all for a good reason, and it's paying off." Raynare assured him.

' _Ku-kun? Heh. Interesting.'_ He thought before continuing. He finally decided to stimulate her more. His hand caressing Rias's tits was now lowering its way down her navel. He used two fingers to part open her slit before inserting one into her pussy. Rias heavily blushed as she felt Kurin move in and out of her.

' _Where is it...'_ He thought as he focused his efforts onto finding that spot.

Both lovers then heard the redhead scream in pleasure all of a sudden. This made Raynare rise up and kiss Rias to keep her voice down. Her back met Kurin's chest. He smirked. _'Bingo.'_ He kept assaulting that spot with his finger before adding another into the mix, heightening the redhead's pleasure.

That did her in. "I'm cumming!" She yelled, her pussy clamping down on his fingers as she came onto his hand. He removed his fingers and tasted them, smiling at her afterwards, liking the taste.

"That was good." He said, causing Rias to blush, feeling embarrassed herself. Kurin then kissed her, allowing her to taste herself. She let out a long moan as their tongues wildly danced in a fierce kiss.

He pulled away from her. "My, my, now you're even wetter." He said as he fingered her again. He didn't know it, but the two buxom women shared a smirk between themselves despite the pleasure.

' _We now have you right where we want you.'_ Both females slipped a hand beneath his boxers and gripped his cock, causing him to let out a surprised moan and release his fingering on Rias. Rias then turned herself to face him.

Upon inspection of their eyes, he smirked. "You both...planned all of this, didn't you?" They didn't respond. Instead, they just knelt and lowered his boxers down, revealing his hardened cock. It was thick, it was about eight inches, and it was already leaking precum.

Raynare stroked it, looking up at his lust-filled face with her own perverted gaze. Her eyes were clouded with lust. "You've been hiding _this_ from us. You've done so much for us. Now it's our turn to reward you." She took a lick from the base of his cock up to the tip. Rias did the same. It had the intended reaction from the young man, who had his back pressed against the wall, being sucked off by his two beauties. His eyes were closed, but his face was tensed up, no doubt from the sudden coolness on his shaft and the blowjob.

They continued their combined efforts on giving him a blowjob, with Rias caressing his testicles while licking the underside and Raynare sucking the tip. Eventually both girls gave turns taking all eight inches into their mouths.

"H-holy shit...you two are so good..." Kurin moaned once he felt each of them bob back and forth on his cock. His hands were currently holding Raynare's head as she continued to suck on him. Rias stood up and both of them kissed hard. Kurin then grabbed and squeezed the redhead's chest, fondling them excessively. Rias then pushed his hands away from her, causing him to give out a rather cute whimper at the loss of feeling, along with Raynare stopping her efforts.

"If you thought that was good, this will probably be heavenly for you." Raynare teased. She and Rias shared a look of understanding.

Both girls pressed their breasts against each other, with Kurin's cock smashed between their massive chests. They began to go up and down, their tongues licking his head when given the opportunity. Like what Raynare said, Kurin was in cloud nine. His mind almost broke from this much titflesh smothered on his dick. He was now struggling to hold back from cumming.

"Oh gods...I'm not gonna...hold for much longer!" He said, which only fueled the girls more. They also moaned from having their nipples come into contact with each other. The quickened their pace.

Seconds later, he signaled his end. "I'm cumming!" He spurted out rope after rope of cum, most of it landing on their breasts, some of it on their faces and open mouths, which they happily swallowed. He gasped and panted as his cock grew limp. He slid down to sit, out of breath.

"Wow…" Was all he could say, eyes closed. He then opened his eyes to see his two girlfriends seductively smile and wink at him. They turned to face each other and started to kiss and clean each other of his cum, doing it as sensually as possible to arouse the young human once more.

"You girls...are gonna be the end of me..." He moaned as he felt his member harden. They finished up soon after and licked their lips at the sight of his dick standing tall once more.

Raynare was the first to approach him. She straddled his hips, her dripping slit just inches from the tip, a lustful smile on her face.

"Are...are you sure?" Kurin asked, knowing what she's about to do. She answered him by slamming her lips onto his as she impaled herself on his cock. Both moaned, this new feeling bringing them euphoric bliss. To Kurin's surprise, he felt her hymen break, which meant despite her lustful nature, despite her teasing since the start of their relationship, she may have not had sex with anyone except him.

"You're my first..." She trailed, answering the question in his mind. Both stopped their movements to get used to each other. Minutes later, Kurin started to move.

"You're so tight..." He moaned out, filling her as he saw her sway her hips. Looking up, he was mesmerized by her body. Her erotic face, her flopping tits, her swaying hips...

"Not helped because you're so big-AHHHHH!" Raynare yelled in ecstasy when Kurin reached up and fondled her swaying tits. He took one in his mouth and sucked around the nipple.

"Wings out. Please." Kurin requested, continuing his ministrations on her chest while he started to thrust her, meeting her movements. He wanted to test something out. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Rias pleasuring herself at the sight, her fingers pumping in and out of her pussy.

Raynare did as he asked. As soon as she did, one of his hands started caressing them.

"AHHHH NO, NOT MY WINGS!" The fallen screamed. Kurin had a devious smirk on his face while sucking her other tit.

' _Thought so. Wings being a sensitive point during sex also exists in the real world.'_ He thought, chuckling as he did.

He decided to change things up. Grabbing Raynare by her hips, he turned her over. She was now on her hands and knees, her lust-fueled face and body now facing the redhead. Kurin continued to fuck her from behind while fondling her breasts, all the while staring into Rias's eyes, enticing her as if saying, _'This is what you're gonna get_.'

' _That's so fucking hot...'_ Rias thought, now fingering herself faster. If this was what awaited the devilish redhead, it made her more excited.

After a few minutes, Kurin felt himself reach his limit. "Ray-chan, I'm gonna cum!"

"M-me too! Cum inside me! Please!" Raynare said, shaking her ass to entice him more. He grabbed her by her waist to lift her up. He craned her neck to meet her lips in a searing kiss. He started thrusting faster, her juicy ass meeting his thighs each time.

They both came hard, her juices covering his cock while his seed painted her insides white. Both panted, nearly spent. Kurin removed his dick from inside her pussy.

"That was..." Kurin said.

"...so amazing..." Raynare said, collapsing to the floor, unconscious.

Rias then approached him. "I hope you still have enough for me." She seductively said, winking at him.

Kurin matched that with a grin. "Always."

He laid her on her back and lined up his member by her folds. He teased her a few times by inserting the tip into her pussy, but not all the way in.

"Just put it in already and fuck me!" Rias demanded.

"As the lady wishes." He said, pushing it all inside.

He reached her barrier. He looked up at her face to see her nervous. "This will hurt, Rias-chan. I'll wait until you tell me it's okay to start." He then thrusted inside, breaking her hymen. Rias moaned in pain, instinctively wrapping her arms around him and biting his shoulder to muffle her sounds of pain. It must've hurt her more than either of them thought. It did hurt for the human, but he decided to switch positions again. He sat up, with Rias firmly rested on his thighs while his dick was still inside her pussy. He wrapped his arms around her, caressing her lower back as he whispered sweet words to her.

"O-okay, I'm ready." She said. He nodded and started it off slow, though over time he began to speed up. All he could hear from Rias were moans of encouragement and incoherent words. He eventually stood up, carrying her while still fucking her and pushed her back against the wall. He pressed his body against hers, making sure her breasts are firmly squished by his chest, increasing their pleasure. She wrapped her legs around his waist, locking him.

He suddenly planted his hands on her ass, slapping both cheeks. That caused her to tighten inside.

Kurin smirked, looking into her hazy eyes. "You liked that, didn't you?"

"N-no!" She managed to muster. He slapped her ass again, which caused her pussy to clamp his cock in a vice-like grip.

"You may say no, but your body says otherwise." He said.

She mumbled something he couldn't quite hear. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Please...keep doing that..." She said, though it was no more than a whisper.

"Hm?" He stopped thrusting, which made her let out a cute whimper. "Keep doing what?"

"Please...keep slapping...my ass...I've been a bad girl...seducing you like this..." She said, blushing hard from her own words.

' _Wow...I didn't think she'd be a submissive one.'_ He thought. He decided to give her what she wanted. He started to thrust into her core again, and then started to slap her ass again. She yelled out her approval each time he slapped her. "YES! PUNISH THIS BAD GIRL!" She moaned.

"Gods you are so tight!" He said. He started to rub that same spot that he found earlier with his finger, and the redhead had lost it, moaning his name repeatedly.

The moans of his name lit a fire within him, and he just kept hammering into her pussy with reckless abandon. His hands then roamed up to her face, where he framed her face to meet his in another fiery kiss, their tongues darting towards one another for another dance of passion. She wrapped her arms around his back, her nails digging deep.

Eventually he brought her down again, lying on the floor, letting her hips swing as he watched her ride him.

He could feel his imminent release. She could feel hers too.

"W-where do you want it?" Kurin asked.

"Inside! Cum inside me!" She said.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her close, and he started thrusting even faster.

"KURIN-KUN!" She screamed, her womanhood clamping down and gushing her juices down on his cock.

"RIAS-CHAN!" He yelled out, rope upon rope of his sperm filling her innards. Both panted and breathed heavily, and Rias collapsed on his body, her pussy still filled by his dick.

"Oh Maou...that was incredible." Rias said, her head resting on his chest.

"Y-yeah. Can't believe how good that was." He said. He then took notice of his towel, laying on the sink.

"Man, you two made me forget why the hell I was here in the first place." He joked. "Looks like you two will have to get cleaned again. What a mess. Wouldn't have it any other way."

His bathroom was big enough to hold both a tub and a wide shower, so it wasn't going to be a problem for the three of them bathing together.

By this time, Raynare woke up to see them finish. "Wouldn't mind cleaning up again." She said.

One thought made him worried, though. But then he remembered from his teachings that both Fallen Angels and Devils had low birth rates, easing his mind from the possibility of getting them pregnant. Well, he wasn't too worried about him impregnating them, with Sellorion's help, but still. He wouldn't mind having kids with his lovers, but definitely not now.

Looking at the two, he smiled. "I guess I have to thank you girls. You showed me a hell of a ride."

The girls giggled. "I think you should expect more of this to happen between not only us, but whoever else wants to have you." Raynare said.

He sighed at that. "Better get used to it, then." He stood up and held out his hands to the girls. "Shall we get to bathing, ladies?"

' _Such a gentleman.'_ Both girls happily thought, each taking a hand and walking to the shower to clean up and have just a bit more fun.

Unbeknownst to the trio, someone had been watching them in hidden view. A blue-haired fallen angel had been furiously fingering herself to the sight of the human fucking the two.

"Kurin-kun..." Kalawarner moaned out, cumming hard. The tall beauty will soon enough have her turn with him.

 **(LEMON END)**

Hours since they had sex, the trio were now sitting alongside their fellow ORC members, just starting their meeting. The afternoon sun was blocked by the blue curtains of Kurin's bedroom.

"Five contracts from Raynare-san, and seven contracts from Kurin-kun. Impressive, Kurin-kun." Rias praised, rounding out the contracts everyone had made.

He smiled. "Thanks, Buchou."

As Rias turned to the others for other things to speak of, Kurin stood up and walked to the windows. He held the pendant around his neck. Opening it, both sides featured a picture. On the left was him and his parents when he was 4, and on the right was him and his guardians on the last time they had a picture together.

" _We're proud of you, Kurin-kun."_ He heard their voices. He gasped and looked out the window.

' _I swear I heard them...'_ Kurin thought.

 _ **[A portion of their spirits are still in that pendant, after all.]**_ Sellorion said.

' _Oh, right. I forgot. I haven't heard their voices in a long time. I miss them.'_

 _ **[One thing is for sure, they really are proud of you. They loved you very much, kid.]**_

He smiled, eyes closed, gripping the pendant.

"Hey, Kurin. Mind telling me what's this?" He heard Yumi call out. Turning around, he saw her looking at a sword planted by the wall. It was a long bright red sword with a glowing yellow hilt.

"It's a sword. Why?" He asked as he walked towards her.

"Where did you get this sword?" She asked him.

"I don't know. It's always been there since I began living here, and that was years ago. I was told to never use it or even touch it. I've followed that rule ever since."

She grinned, but Kurin worriedly looked at her. "Do you know something about this sword?" He asked.

She ignored him, saying, "I didn't think a sword like this appeared in here of all places."

Of course, he knew what she was talking about. This wasn't just any sword. It was one of the Excalibur fragments, which when combined becomes the most powerful Holy Sword in existence. Generally, Excalibur needs all seven fragments to be fused up. However, this one fragment is very different, due to the fact that this is not one of the seven at all. He never bothered to use it because using it would reveal its location to anyone. That, and he was already powerful enough to not really need it. As a human, he has the capability to wield a sword like this without being burned to death, but he simply chose not to. He realized that Yumi Kiba may have been related to the church's experiments relating to the Excalibur fragments.

Night fell. With a magic circle, Kurin arrived at his next contractor's door. He was about to knock when the door opened, revealing a middle-aged kimono-wearing blonde man.

"I guess you're the guy who contacted me for a contract?" Kurin asked.

The man held out the paper revealing the magic circle. "Correct. I've been wanting to meet you, kid."

Kurin smirked and shook his head. "I could say the same to you, Azazel."

The leader of the Grigori chuckled. "So you do know about me. You _are_ a Salamencia, after all." He widened the door open. "Come in. We've got a few things to discuss."

"I'm sure you're aware about the recent events these past few days. The team of Fallen Angels that operated in Kuoh, the Rating Game between Riser and my King, and of course, my emergence in the supernatural world." Kurin said, taking a sip from a glass of soda. Kurin had refused to drink any alcohol due to being underage, despite that Sellorion could just simply purge it away.

"Yup. You sure are an interesting one. You hold the Undying Remorse, so that means you're still human. It's rather unexpected that you held such a utility-based Sacred Gear. The only thing I know about it is that it grants the user resurrection for each occurrence of death, and I've done a lot of research on Sacred Gears."

"There are some powers granted to me from it, like my newly acquired Ice Blast. I don't know what else it offers me, though. All these years I've had, and I still don't know what extent does it offer."

"Hmmm, very interesting. I suppose you're interested in why I'm here in the first place."

"Come to think of it, yeah. What are you doing here in Earth? Is it related to the Fallen Angel group's recent actions? Does it have something to do with Kokabiel?"

Azazel smirked. "Right on the nose, kiddo. After getting Mittelt's report, I decided to let the three remaining Fallen go unpunished, as it was only Dohnaseek who had been getting orders from him after all, and the three were unaware as to what they were getting themselves into. Not to mention that Raynare is in a relationship with you, and I'd have to go through you to deliver said punishment, which I would not prefer to have. And of course, I'd rather not get my hands dirty. We just went through a war, after all. I'd want to keep that peace."

"Still doesn't explain why Kokabiel wants a war."

"He's been tired of the peace. He wants to fight and prove that we are the superior ones. He's also been unsatisfied with how I'm leading us."

Kurin scoffed. "Typical."

"But enough of that." Azazel said, walking back to another room. When he came back, he threw Kurin a controller. "How about a game of Third Strike?"

Kurin was surprised by how much of a gamer the leader of the Fallen Angels was. They ended their game session with Azazel winning 15 games to Kurin's 12.

"Contract sealed, Kurin. I'll see you soon." Azazel waved at the departing human.

Before Kurin left the building, however, he turned back to the black-and-blond haired Fallen, leaving one rhetoric before leaving for good. "Azazel...what do you know about Excalibur?"

Azazel closed the door, surprised by his question. "Nngh?! That sword...Kokabiel...what are you up to?"

* * *

When Kurin came back home minutes later, he saw the distraught looks shared between his other club members. He also noted a missing member of the group.

"Yumi-chan's gone, isn't she?" He said. "Damn, I didn't think it'd affect her this much..." He went to his room and picked up the sword, coming out of it to show it to them.

"Is that what I think it is?" Rias asked.

"Yes. It's a Holy Sword. More specifically, Excalibur Desolator: The so-called 'eighth' and 'shadow' fragment of the famed Excalibur sword. In truth, it's not really needed to be fused with the other seven. Unlike the others, this was created as a 'clone' of sorts to the real Excalibur. It's not as powerful as the original, but instead it relies on the raw power of the wielder. It's a great way to see the strength level of a person because that strength is temporarily transferred to the sword, and it's locked up for a certain amount of time, depending on the wielder."

To demonstrate, he gripped the gold handle, and the sword emitted a really bright glow. Astonishment was evident in everyone else's faces.

"But, I never bothered using it because of how people would want to steal it. That, and using this feels like a crutch for me. Literally. Disarming the individual wielding the sword will not return the original wielder's strength back. As I said, it locks up the power being stored up inside courtesy of the user. It's how it can be used against you." He said, the sword's glow now dimming.

"A sword like that is a huge risk for anyone who uses it. But in the right hands it could be very devastating. You said that you have no need for it, so what will you do with it?" Akeno asked, curious about the sword itself.

He rested the sword on it's tip, his hands placed on the hilt. "I intend to destroy it soon. Though the definition of 'soon' may be closer than I thought."

 _'I could destroy it with my own power, right...Sel?'_

 ** _[I think you_ _can.]_**

His piercing green eyes then locked onto Rias. "Tell me, Rias, was Yumi one of the survivors of the Church's Holy Sword Experiment?"

"Holy Sword Experiment?" Asia asked. "I've never heard of anything like that during my time there! How could they?"

"They had to do it in secret. That, and it also had happened a very long time ago. Very few could wield a Holy Sword, which is why they tried to create a being who could be able to wield Excalibur itself. In the end, it was a complete failure, based on my reports, and regarding your question, Kurin-kun, yes, Yumi-chan was a survivor."

Raynare and Asia gasped. "Poor Yumi-chan. Seeing that sword may have messed her up." Raynare said.

"We've tried to steer her away from it. Giving her a new life, hoping that she'd forget all the pain of that horrific time. That she has friends. That she has a reason to live again. But we knew it was only a matter of time before she'd have to face her past again." Koneko said.

"Then she'll face it with all of us by her side." Kurin said. He took note of the time: midnight. He also looked outside to see heavy rain pouring. "It's getting late. It's also raining pretty hard from the looks of it. You can all sleep here in my house for the night. Then we'll all decide what we should do."

' _No doubt Xuelan and Kalawarner are already asleep at this point. Lucky enough I had extra beds up in the attic.'_ He thought. "Koneko-chan, Raynare-chan, help me with the beds in the attic."

Both girls nodded and went with him up to the attic, collecting said mattresses and bringing them down to his room, laying them down side by side with his own bed. Each of the girls took a bed to sleep on. Kurin laid himself on the middle right side, flanked on both sides by his two girlfriends. Asia, meanwhile, had taken to sleep in the guest room with Xuelan and Kalawarner, considering that she had already started to settle there.

Not long after, everyone fell asleep.

In the deafening sound of the rain, if one could listen in closely, the sounds of swords clashing could be heard.

* * *

 **AN: First of all, I would like to apologize for the lack of updates these past few months. I'd also further apologize if the lemon wasn't too good. It was my first time writing something like this, after all. These will come in (very) rarely.**

 **Also, I'm whittling down the harem. With the exception of certain characters, I will not be adding more girls to the harem until I get to the point in the story where they've been introduced. That means some of these girls will be removed until I decide to add them again. I also may add some who have already been introduced to the story.**

 **So, these girls are:**

 **Raynare, Rias, Akeno, Sona, Grayfia, Xuelan, Kuroka, Tiamat**

 **A lot of things happened since my last update. I graduated from high school (finally). I didn't pass the one college entrance exam I was hoping to pass. I had gone through a whole lot of mental pain. I became an insomniac. I was betrayed by someone I called a friend. And to top this all off, one of my closest friends died from a heart attack days ago. Through it all I just tried to cope with video games. Obviously it didn't work too well.**

 **Yeah. Not a good time at all. Shit happens. I couldn't write, much less focus on anything. Summer vacation just wears me down, admittedly. Having nothing to do just won't help me focus at all.**

 **I'm just gonna crawl my way through all of this until college starts. Hopefully I could write a lot faster again. And maybe fix the mistakes in these chapters. Ugh.**

 **As usual, leave out a review. Just...tell me what I could do to improve, alright? I greatly appreciate the support.**

 **See you all until the next update. Just...not for some time, at least.**


	11. Surprise Reunion

A wave of energy forces Kurin to burst awake. He almost sat up if not for the weight of his girlfriend on his body. He just smiles and caresses Raynare's back, which causes her to smile and snuggle her head on his chest.

Back to more serious matters, he muses. He focuses on his mind in speaking with the being within him.

 _ **[Judging by the manner of which you woke up, I assume you felt that sudden wave of energy as well.]**_ Sellorion says.

' _Yeah...it's him, isn't it? The White Dragon and its vessel, Divine Dividing. That means the wielder's in the area of our field. Sad to hear that the Welsh Dragon's vessel, the Boosted Gear, is missing. I can't sense it at all. It would be exciting to witness a battle between the arch-dragons' wielders.'_

 _ **[Hmm, yes. It was disheartening to learn the disappearance of the Boosted Gear. Either way, the purpose of the appearance of the White Dragon's energy signature worries me. The unexpected surge is putting me on edge. Kurin, best be cautious. Who knows what the intentions of the individual wielding Divine Dividing are. I'll go back to sleep. You best get back to sleep too.]**_

' _I'll keep that in mind, Sel.'_

The connection buried, he looks around his room. The others are still asleep. It was 4:30. School doesn't come until 8:30. He decided to sleep like his gear's embodiment.

Monday morning didn't come any faster than before. When Kurin woke up two and a half hours later, only Rias and Raynare remained, still asleep. Koneko and Akeno had left during those short hours.

Exiting the room and heading downstairs, he saw his three other housemates by the dinner table, breakfast being served by Kalawarner.

"Morning, you three." He said, going up and kissing Xuelan on the cheek, embracing Kalawarner, and then ruffling Asia's hair.

"Good morning, Kurin-kun." They said.

Kurin sat down and started eating. "Did any of you see Koneko and Akeno leave the house earlier?"

Kalawarner nodded. "They left about thirty minutes ago. Why were they staying here?"

Kurin sighed, remembering what happened the previous night. He and Asia proceeded to explain what happened to Yumi. Upon hearing it, Xuelan shivered, while Kalawarner looked down in disgust.

"To think that kid is actually the lone survivor of that experiment. That's a lot of trauma." The blue-haired Fallen said.

"I didn't think that his swordfighting came from that..." Xuelan said, still shaken. "Yumi-san sometimes wanted to spar with someone, and oftentimes, I was her partner. The way she had attacked and used her swords was incredible. I held my own, but given time and more training, she could be really fearsome." She said.

"Which is why I fear for her. Where she is right now...she's thinking of revenge. And she might die from it." Rias entered the conversation, sitting beside Kurin. Raynare meanwhile followed suit, sitting next to Asia.

"I know. I'm worried too." Kurin said. He turned to the redhead and smiled. "Morning, Rias-chan." He kissed her on the cheek. "Morning, Ray-chan." He kissed her on the forehead. Both girls smiled.

Rias's expression, however, morphed into a frown. "What do we do, Kurin?"

He sighed. "I honestly don't know."

The early morning passed by. The four students had already left for school while the remaining two girls stayed at the house.

* * *

At the front of the school stood two girls in white robes. One was holding a wrapped up item. The other simply stood next to her.

Sona Sitri looked at the two white-robed females with interest, with her vice-president just behind her.

"What brings you here?" The student council president asked.

The blue-haired robed girl lifted her hood. "We wish for a meeting with Rias Gremory."

Sona crossed her arms. "And let's say if I refuse?"

Xenovia Quarta shook her head. "I would not want to go to that part, let's say. One meeting is what we only ask. After that, we will not be bothering you for a long time." The blue-haired girl said, one hand gripped on the bandaged item.

"So long as no damage is done, then I will grant your request. Tomorrow, you'll meet with her after school."

Xenovia nodded. "Let's get going, Irina."

The other girl, Irina Shidou, lifted her hood up, beaming brightly. "Okay, then! It was nice meeting you!" Both then left.

' _Rias would very much be interested to know why these exorcists want to meet with her.'_ The Sitri heiress thought. She turned to her Queen. "Let's get going as well, Tsubaki. Classes will start in a few."

"Of course, Sona-sama."

From the second floor, Kurin watched the two pairs part. Although he couldn't hear them, he witnessed their entire conversation. His lips formed a smirk, intrigued. _'What brings you here, Xenovia?'_

 _ **[You feel it? The item she's holding, the one wrapped in bandages, you feel its energy, don't you?]**_ Sellorion asked.

' _Heh. Yeah. I can feel Xenovia-chan's sword radiating with that energy. I only wonder how strong she's gotten. Probably not enough.'_

 _ **[Careful with those words. You might regret it.]**_

* * *

During break time, Kurin met up with Raynare, who was conversing with her newest friend.

"Well, good to see you, Kiryuu-san." Kurin said with a grin. "Any perverted talks with my girlfriend here?"

The glasses-wearing brunette gave a smile, giggling pervertedly. "That's for me to know and you to find out. I hear that you're planning to go out for karaoke later?"

"Mmhmm, yeah. What's up? You want to come with us?"

"If you would spare me some of your time, yeah. Asia's coming too, right?"

"I was just gonna ask her that." Kurin answered.

"If she's coming, then I'd ask if I can go too."

"Aika, it's alright. You're always welcome to stick around with us, you know."

The brown-haired girl smiled. "Thanks. I'll be off." The enigmatic (and sometimes lewd) girl walked away from the couple.

Raynare turned to her boyfriend. "How'd you know her, and how'd you become friends with her?"

"Long story. I think you know of her 'special' ability with her eyes, right? Like one of the perverted duo who keep getting their asses kicked by the kendo club?"

The Fallen Angel confusedly looked at him. "Err, sorta. Elaborate."

"Well, she can correctly guess the 'size' of a guy's manhood by looking at him, like how one of the duo somehow also has the ability to correctly guess the measurements of a girl's...assets, so to speak."

Her eyes grew wide from the sudden realization. Then she smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "She must've been really red when she first met you, huh?"

Kurin laughed. "Yeah." He turned to look at the subject of their talk, conversing with the other students along with Asia. "But...when you get to know her more, she's actually a pretty good friend. If you can get past her quirks, she's someone you can trust."

"I'll have to see that for myself soon." Raynare looked at the school clock. "I think we should check out the renovated school building later after class. Rias did say that it would be finished by today, right?"

He nodded. "Let's get to it. We have classes to go to."

Time passed by until the sun was almost set. Accompanied by Asia, the three arrived at the building in the afternoon, and were amazed at how improved the building looked compared to the first time they stepped foot into.

"Well, as much as we'd want to look around more, I think Rias would be expecting us at any moment now. Let's go." Kurin said. The two girls nodded. The three opened the door leading to the main room, where Rias, Akeno, and Koneko were waiting.

"Did we take long?" The human asked with a smile.

"Not at all." Akeno said. "Would you like anything?" She asked.

"Water." Asia said.

"Water for me too." Raynare said.

"I'd like some tea." Kurin said. Akeno nodded and left. The three proceeded to sit down.

For a few minutes, none of them spoke. Kurin decided to discuss their biggest concern.

"So, Yumi-chan's still absent." He said. That drew a surprised look from Asia and Raynare, realizing that they didn't see any sign of her at all during the day.

"Unfortunately." Rias said.

"I think it's time we explain more of the experiment, Rias. Ray-chan and Asia-chan deserve to know what happened to Yumi. I only know some of it, so you fill in the blanks."

"Agreed."

Both went on to explain the entirety of the Holy Sword project, answering the questions Asia and Raynare gave from time to time. From the explanation of the seven Excalibur fragments to the failure of the subjects, they gave a lengthy discussion about the project.

"Ultimately, after the project was deemed to be scrapped, the test subjects were subdued, probably to keep it under wraps. This meant that no one can be left alive because they could persecute the church for it. Of course, Yumi-chan was the sole survivor, thanks to our good President." Kurin concluded. "Any more questions?"

Raynare then spoke up. "Kurin-kun...what is the relation of the eighth fragment?"

"Ah, that. Well, it's a lot more complicated than it simply being a 'shadow' fragment. Excalibur Desolator is an artificial sword crafted from small chips of the seven fragments themselves, forged with combined metals and alloys and magic. It's ultimately a prototype of the real Excalibur, since it has all seven fragments at once, even if they are small. Still, even those small bits hold power. It's not like any of the seven since it's use is radically different from the others, even from the original Excalibur. As I said, it needs power lent to the sword, which locks it in, meaning nothing could ever take that power away from the sword except for the user's will. As you can tell already, none of the Excalibur swords have that power. Like I said before, it's not needed to reform the true Excalibur, and that's already a huge difference. Still...it can't fall into the wrong hands."

"Why was it created in the first place?" Asia asked this time.

Kurin opened his mouth to speak, only none came out. He was stumped. "That...I honestly have no idea, actually. I only used it at first during my training, and when I asked, not even they knew why it was made."

Rias looked at the boy, eyes narrowed. _'To think all this time Kurin had an Excalibur sword. As a Devil, he can't use it because it can kill him...only if he was a Devil. Humans can use it without any consequence. Kurin's weapon may just be the key to solving Kiba's vengeance.'_ Rias thought.

By this time, Akeno returned with what the trio had asked. She also returned with Sona and Tsubaki.

"Sorry for being late, Buchou, but we have guests." Akeno said, handing out the drinks to the three, graciously accepting them.

"Student Council President and her vice-president. Good to see you two." Kurin greeted.

Sona nodded. "It's good to see you too, Kurin." She turned to Rias. "We have an urgent discussion. In private. We can discuss it in my house along with our queens." She said, surprising the redhead. From the tone in the council president's voice, it was very important. Rias knew that she cannot delay this. It had slightly miffed her that she'd have to hold off their meeting today, but she understood that it must be done. An urgent message coming from a fellow Devil always bore something of utmost importance. Not to mention, she has a message of her own to give to the Sitri heir.

Rias stood up. "Alright. This must be very important." She turned to the others and bowed. "Sorry to leave on such short notice. I'll see you all tomorrow."

"It's okay, Rias-chan. We'll see you tomorrow." Kurin said, standing up, approaching her, and kissing her on her right cheek. Rias smiled at that, and the four of them left.

"Time to go home." Kurin said. He then felt a strange feeling come over him. He felt the same energy from earlier. He narrowed his eyes.

' _I have a feeling something...or someone, is waiting for me at home.'_ He thought, both in anticipation and in slight anger and worry. He hoped that Kalawarner and Xuelan weren't hurt.

* * *

"Kurin has a Holy Sword?!" Sona said in surprise. A human owning a Holy Sword, much less actually using one, especially for one who has never engaged much in religion like Kurin was surprising.

"As hard to believe as it is, he does. It's also one of the Excaliburs, albeit he says that it's the 'shadow' fragment of the sword." Rias said.

"What does he plan to do with it? You know that he knows that Holy Swords could harm and even kill devils." Tsubaki said.

"Tsubaki, he's not going to just turn on us like that. If he had, he would've already killed us a long time ago, even if it would bring the wrath of our siblings. I know him a lot, and I know he wouldn't ever betray us." Rias said. She sat in silence for half a minute. "He wants to destroy it. He said it brought him no use to it. With"

"Either way, tomorrow's meeting with the church affiliates should explain their presence here. And with a Holy Sword...it is a little concerning, if I must admit." Akeno said. It was then that the club president had experienced a realization, and it wasn't easing her mind. The church affiliates were here in Kuoh, and that meant that...

"Oh no." Rias said. She stood up, Akeno following. "Excuse us, Sona. They may be in danger." The two left to head back.

* * *

"Well." Kurin said with a smirk. "It's been over two years now, Xenovia." The two hooded girls stood across him. Kalawarner and Xuelan were standing on the side, and Asia and Raynare stood behind the boy.

He approached the bluenette, and she smiled and embraced him. "It's good to see you again, Kurin-kun. But...where is your aunt and uncle?"

The boy sighed. "They died some time after you left."

Xenovia gasped. "O-oh. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay."

"Kurin-kun, how do you know her?" Raynare asked.

"You never told me you had a boyfriend, Xenovia!" Irina teased. She lightly blushed at that, but said no words, her stoic expression replacing her smile.

"She's not exactly my girlfriend. To be honest, I don't know exactly what we are."

Xenovia raised a hand, and the boy let her speak. "Irina...this is Kurin-sensei. He's the one who taught me all I knew about swordfighting."

Upon hearing her explanation, everyone's eyes widened, even Irina's.

"WHAAAAAAT?!"

He chuckled. "Never exactly had a reason to tell this part because I didn't expect her to come back. But..." He then embraced the girl, who blushed harder. "I am glad you came back."

"However, I know you aren't here on a whim. You're here for a reason. I saw you and...um..."

"Irina. Irina Shidou. Nice to meet you, Kurin-san!"

"Ah, Irina. Nice to meet you too. Anyways, both of you were talking to Sona earlier. It's something of importance, isn't it?"

"As deductive as always." Xenovia said. "We'll be meeting with Rias Gremory tomorrow."

That drew surprised looks from everyone other than Irina.

"You're not thinking of harming her, are you? Adding to that, did you harm Kala-chan and Xuelan-chan?" He asked, eyes staring intensely at the bluenette. The exorcist knew he would fight her if she harmed any of them. No matter what, she was still in his home. That meant that anyone under his roof was under his protection. And based on her training all those years ago, he would fight back hard to protect them.

"No. You will learn more tomorrow, and that's that." She said with a tone of finality. Not even he could wrest that out of her. What she says is usually final.

Kurin sighed. "Fine. Nothing's ever going to come out of you with that tone of voice." He rested his head on top of hers. "At least you're okay."

"I did kinda miss you." She said after a minute of silence.

Surprised, but nonetheless pleased, he gripped her tighter. All that time, he never ever heard her say that she missed anyone. "Never thought I'd hear you say that. First time for everything."

"Shut up, Kurin-kun." She said jokingly. That was a first time too.

Raynare looked at the two with a smile. _'Hmmmm, looks like someone else now has their eyes on Kurin-kun too.'_

Rias had arrived not long after the two left. She felt very relieved upon seeing them safe.

While Kurin would've loved to stay a bit more, he had a contract to continue fulfilling tonight.

Orchintia had a new recipe to try out.

* * *

"Are you sure this cheesecake will _not_ explode in our faces?" He asked as he inserted the mix into the oven. The purple-clad woman giggled.

"Of course not. I made sure this time it won't." At a prior time, inexplicably, Orchintia had used the wrong ingredients to make one of her desserts, and as a result, while they were taking it out of the oven, it had exploded on their faces. It tasted nice, though, so that was a plus. The cleaning, however, was not. It took them three hours to fully clean the kitchen of its mess and smell.

"Alright. Hoping it won't." Kurin said, still shaky from that time. The woman placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Kurin-kun, there's nothing to be afraid of. I promise."

Both continued on, watching the oven.

"Orchintia..." He called out.

"Yes, Kurin?"

He was unsure to ask. Asking someone who is as a mystery as Orchintia unnerved him. Still, no one else would be there to answer for him. "What would you do if you had a lot of power at the palm of your hands? Like, the power to kill a god, let's say."

The older woman was at a loss for words. She had immediately gotten a thought upon hearing his question, but his words from their prior meetings made her rethink. If she had been asked that in their first initial meetings, she would say that she would hunt down all those who wronged her and robbed her of what was hers. But the young man got to her, really. The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if vengeance was really that much sweet to her mind. She began to grow conflicted with her true mission.

Kurin called out to her again, halting her deep thinking. She looked back at the human with soft eyes.

"You don't have to answer my question, if you want. I was only wondering."

She shook her head. She felt she has to answer this.

"I do have an answer, Kurin. If it were up to me, I would simply give up that power. If I cannot, then I'd protect the people I care for. In the end, no one should have that much power."

He looked at her, unconvinced. "Are you sure that's your answer?"

"Would I give any reason to lie to you?" She asked in return.

At that moment Kurin's eyes narrowed. But then his face softened. "You looked like you were about to say something different from the words you just said. It's about what we had talked about sometime before, wasn't it?"

Upon the long silence, he knew he was right. "I'm not mad, if that's what you're thinking. You've changed, even if just a little." He smiled. "And I'm happy for that."

They heard the sound coming from the oven. He still smiled, but he began to look nervous. "Let's hope you're right about the cake not exploding in our faces this time."

Needless to say, Kurin came home with cheesecake slices to share for everyone else. Before that, however, he visited another certain contract.

* * *

"So, you checked on the status of the swords?" Kurin asked as he stood up on the edge of the concrete ground, while Azazel fished.

"That I have. It seems three of them have been stolen, though I do not know which ones were." He said.

"You suspect Kokabiel's behind this-No, we both know the answer to that question."

A ghost of a smirk was formed on the Grigori leader's expression, but it vanished just as quickly. "The only missing answer left is who he is working with. I've tried to attain more information on him, but the bastard's been sneaky as always. I still can't be able to arrest him on just our words, and our evidence is still lacking. In light of this, I want you to stop him. His desire for war has become too great. Let them know about my absolute displeasure in one of my commanders, so that hopefully, your Devil companions won't be too worried about the whole faction attacking either side."

Kurin nodded. He looked up to the full moon. "I'm not too worried about tomorrow, to be perfectly honest."

"As you should be. You'll surprise the lot of them, as usual."

"Understand this, kid. The time will come when conflict with Kokabiel is inevitable. You'll need all the help you can get."

"I know. I'll tell them sooner or later."

"Hm?" Azazel looked up to see the kid.

He was gone. What was left of him was a plate with a cheesecake slice on it.

Azazel chuckled. "What an interesting kid." He took the cheesecake and returned home.

* * *

After their classes the next day, the whole club (sans Yumi, who still was nowhere to be seen) sat down in their main building, waiting for the two girls. It didn't take long for them to arrive.

Once everyone had settled in, Rias felt that it was time. With a nod, she motioned Xenovia to begin.

"The both of us would like to give our thanks for your cooperation. My name is Xenovia Quarta."

"I'm Irina Shidou."

"So, what brings two representatives of the church to an area that is being monitored by Devils? For that matter, why ask for a meeting with me?" Rias asked.

"A simple request. Of course, we have an explanation behind that request." Xenovia said. She held out the wrapped up item in front of them.

"One has yet to be found. However, the remaining six Excalibur swords were kept by the three divisions of the church. Key word is 'were' because unfortunately, three of those have been stolen. By Fallen Angels."

A bevy of surprised looks faced the two exorcists. "Stolen?!"

"By my own kind?!"

"Which of the swords do you still have? I know for a fact that what you have, Xenovia, is Excalibur Destruction."

"You're right, Kurin-san. As for myself, I have Excalibur Mimic." Irina answered.

Kurin placed a hand under his chin. "The Holy Swords of Destruction and Mimicry. Obviously you'll follow this, but make sure you both keep those safe."

The exorcists nodded.

"So...what is it that you want from us?" Rias asked.

"Simple. Our conflict is with the Fallen Angels. We cannot afford to deal with the Devils as we deal with this difficulty." Xenovia answered.

"You think we'd side with the Fallen Angels?" Rias asked, her eyes glowing red. Kurin immediately detected that aura. She had let her power flow out.

"What would you do when you have the Holy Swords at your disposal? For you Devils who despise these swords, what would you do? The answer to that would be simple." Xenovia stated. "If we must, we will end you, even though you are the sister of a Maou."

Rias crossed her arms. "Then you should know this: with the exception of Raynare here, who, if I may, sided with _me_ in the first place, I will never side with a Fallen Angel. To humiliate my own clan by siding with a Fallen Angel is an extremely foolish choice."

The blue-haired exorcist gave a satisfied grin. "Good. That was the answer we're hoping for."

"Then you must know that I won't ever side with you, the Church, nor your God, correct?"

"Of course. What we ask is for you to simply pledge that you will not intervene in our activities as we fulfill the mission sent to the two of us."

"Understood."

The exorcists stood up, but then took notice of Asia. Kurin himself took notice of this. _'Oh no.'_

"You are...Asia Argento, correct?"

She shakily nodded. "I never expected a witch here. I did not expect to see a Fallen Angel amongst the Devils here either." Xenovia said.

Irina then turned to the blonde girl. "You mean she's the ex-nun? The one that became a witch?"

In shame, Asia lowered her head.

Irina continued to talk. "I heard that you were ex-communicated because you could also heal Devils and Fallen Angels. I didn't expect that you would become a _Devil_ yourself!"

Asia was still too shaken to speak.

Xenovia shook her head, as if embarrassed by the former nun's actions. "From saint to Devil...how far the mighty have fallen. There's nothing I can do about that. Not everyone is perfect, I guess."

Kurin crossed his arms. Raynare quickly saw and held his arm. It was a sign that he wasn't very happy.

"Tell me, Asia Argento." The bluenette called out, causing her to snap out of her steadily cracking demeanor to look up at her.

"Do you still believe in our God?" The question shocked the poor girl.

"Xenovia, she's a _Devil_. I don't think it would make sense for her to still believe in God." Irina retorted to the question.

"While that is true, there are still some who feel their guilt becoming a Devil. As such, they still hold whatever little faith they have. I can sense that in her."

Irina's eyes widened in understanding. "Is that so? Then Asia-san, you still believe, even though you are now a Devil?"

Slowly, she nodded. "I just...could never let that go. I have always believed in God. All my life. Even now, I still hold onto that faith."

"Hmmm, I see." Xenovia nodded at that. "It is...astonishing. In that case...you would not mind if we cut you down, would you?"

All of them gasped at that.

"For all the sins done, God will always forgive you. For that, you must be punished in the name of God."

Kurin's power flared, and everyone felt a wave of fire pass over them.

His power returned to its normal level, and facepalmed, groaning. "This is why I became an atheist..."

That shocked Xenovia, her hand gripping her chest tightly.

"You couldn't have known." He paused. "You couldn't have known what happened to her. The lonely life she lived. How, even though she had been anointed a saint, she still felt so lonely."

"Then she is not worthy of sainthood." She said, easing herself up.

"Then you need to—you know what, I'm not gonna bother with that." He stopped, took a deep breath, and began. "She witnessed the very individual she healed kill an exorcist. She was shunned immediately because that person was a Devil. The very people that had loved and respected her had turned their backs on her. Do you know how backwards that is? That when Asia heals a human, she's loved, and when she heals a Devil, she's reviled? Do you think humans own her? That's not the worst of it. Did you think she had a choice becoming a Devil?" He marched closer to the bluenette. And then his power flared again. "She didn't. She never did. Why? _SHE! DIED! FOR US!_ We didn't want to let her go. We couldn't accept that it was the end for her. Rias had came up with the solution, but even when she became a Devil, she never lost that faith. She prayed as fervently as she had been before she died, despite the pain. We were always okay with it, because we loved her so much. Never doubt in Asia-chan's faith, even though it causes her pain. Remember this, Xenovia: as you said, all humans have flaws. That includes those who were anointed sainthood, because they were humans too. You never knew, so who are you to have the right to be the judge of who Asia was, is, and has become?"

The whole room stood in silence after his rant. "Tell me, Kurin. Who are you to Asia?" Xenovia asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Simple. I'm her brother. Her ally. Her friend." He smiled. "I've grown to care for Asia as someone to protect with my life."

"Will you fight for her life?"

"Of course."

She took out her sword, fiercely looking up at her fellow human friend. "Then prove to me your dedication. We fight."

He looked back at her for a few seconds, and then sighed. "You've changed so little, Xen-chan." He chuckled. "Alright. I'll take both you and Irina on."

"Hold that, Kurin-kun."

They all turned to the voice. There stood Yumi Kiba, who had entered the room. "Let me fight with you."

"And who are you?" Irina asked.

"None of your concern." She answered. "Only that I'll be your opponent."

"So be it."

Kurin, in his mind, felt immense relief. _'Glad to see you have returned, Yumi-chan.'_

Rias, however, looked at her knight in concern.

* * *

At the field, the four combatants were facing each other.

"Should we be worried about this?" Asia asked.

Raynare shook her head. "As far as everything goes, this is an unofficial spar. It doesn't mean much in the long run." She said as they looked at the four.

"So, at long last, I finally come face-to-face with the weapon I need to destroy." Yumi said. Swords rose up from the ground.

"You're the escapee. They said that the escapee had Sword Birth."

"That so? Then I guess I might finally-" Yumi felt a hand on her shoulder, which caused her to look to her friend.

"I have to face her, Yumi-chan. I need to experience it for myself if my student had grown."

She immediately got the gist of what he was saying. "You mentored her?!"

He nodded, smiling. "Surprised, aren't you?" She nodded in response.

He turned to Xenovia. "Time to see what you're made of now, Xen-chan." Gripping its hilt, he unsheathed his sword, in which the blade glowed red. Then, it stopped glowing brightly, but retained its red glow.

Both exorcists looked with shocked eyes at the weapon he was holding. "Impossible...!" The two realized that

"This is Excalibur Desolator." Kurin said. At that, Yumi turned to him, shocked as well.

"We thought that it was just a myth." Irina said.

"Real as it is. Now, put your feelings aside. It's time."

Xenovia barely blocked his quick strike in time. She was quickly dropped onto her knees as she pushed against the Desolator.

"How much power did you apply to this?!"

"A lot, let's say. I didn't sit on my ass and not improve just for you to kick mine." He disarmed her by swinging his sword up, the force causing her to release her grip on the hilt of hers, the sword up in the air. Xenovia was then kicked on her stomach, sending her back a few feet. She pushed a hand against the spot, looking at him, winded.

"You got a lot stronger. That kick was a lot more painful than it was on our last spar." She said. She caught her sword, which was thrown back to her courtesy of the young man. This time she initiated the clash, and they kept themselves on equal footing.

"For Devils, even one hit of a Holy Sword on any part of the body could be very devastating. Kurin has no concerns over that. In addition, Kurin himself trained her, which means he knows her moves. Unless Xenovia surprises her mentor, she is at a very distinct disadvantage." Rias noted as she watched the two fight, with Xenovia slowly being overwhelmed. She turned to the other battle.

"As for Yumi, even though she herself is at a disadvantage with Shidou-san wielding a Holy Sword, he has had much experience in swordfighting, and in addition, his speed can help compensate it." She said.

"Do you think Yumi-chan and Irina are evenly matched?" Raynare asked. She nodded.

"You're aware of my Gear, right?" Kurin asked.

"Of course I am. I saw you _die_ twice, both by accident." Xenovia answered, shuddering at the memory of the first time she saw him die and come back to life. "Hey, don't distract me like that!" She surprised him by pushing him back with her own strength. Then she jumped on his sword and turned to kick him at his back.

He recovered by rolling to his feet. He looked at her and nodded. "That was good. Not enough, though. If you want to beat me, you're gonna have to force my hands out of this sword. You may have a chance, albeit a little one, my student." He said, grinning.

"Don't underestimate me!" She yelled, springing up and raising her sword up. He retaliated by rising up to meet her, kneeing her stomach. Hard. She coughed heavily, though the force was not enough that she coughed out blood, to his relief. However, she was still able to land a hit, with a slash onto his shoulder, leaving a deep cut. Still, the knee was a very hard hit for the exorcist, as she struggled to get up herself after crashing to the ground.

"So she's also seen it." Akeno said. "It's also another thing to consider. Although Kurin dying once in this battle may count as a loss, his Gear is very unpredictable. Any power may come out and even he might not know what it is."

Kurin fell to his knees. He laughed. "That was a hell of a hit! I almost can't use my left arm because of that now." He gripped his bleeding left shoulder with his right hand, which started to glow orange. The skin started to burn.

"Is he...cauterizing the wound?" Asia asked.

"It looks like it." Koneko said.

Kurin slowly stood up. The wound had stopped bleeding at that point, but he struggled to raise his sword up a bit. "I'm lucky I use my right arm most of the time, or else I would've had a real chance at losing to you." He grinned. "Come at me again."

Xenovia huffed. She shakily stood. She slowly walked, then ran, then sprinted, and she swung her sword sideways, meeting the Desolator against her blade. Unfortunately, she felt her grip weakening, as the hit from earlier still affected her body. She crashed onto her knees, her sword falling out of her hands, her hands circled around her stomach. Kurin lowered his sword carefully and knelt down to her. The sword's red glow dimmed, indicating that Kurin's stored power in the sword returned to him.

"I...concede." She said.

"Are you okay?" He asked. He motioned for Asia to approach the two, to which she hurriedly went and applied her healing on both. The bluenette looked down in anguish.

"Even...after two years...I still can't...surpass you, Kurin. I thought I could at least match up with you, but..." She trailed off.

"It's alright, Xen-chan. You have improved, I can say. However, I'm sure in time, you'll be able to at least match my prowess. I am your teacher, after all." He reassuringly said. He turned to Asia, who nodded back, letting him know that she was done. He then helped her up, and handed her back the Holy Sword, all bandaged up. He turned to the other battle, where Irina proudly stood tall while Yumi was lying down on the ground, being helped by Asia who was healing the slash wound on her abdomen.

Kurin sighed. "Still consumed with rage, I see."

' _I can't help but empathize with her. I used to be so angry with everything.'_ He thought.

 _ **[And then you learned one of the biggest surprises in your life, and that's when you began to adopt a better, calmer personality. She's like the past you. You must help her with this.]**_ Sellorion said before fading out.

"I appreciate that you didn't finish off one of my servants with your Holy Sword, Shidou-san." He heard Rias say.

"As you said, it was just a spar. There wasn't any need to really kill anyone, even if they're Devils."

He turned back to the two exorcists. "So, I assume you'll be heading out?"

Irina nodded. "Thanks for the spar. I hope I could fight against you sometime soon, Kurin-san!" She waved as she helped Xenovia walk away with her.

"There's one more thing I'd like to know." Rias called out. The two turned back to her. "Do you know which of the Fallen Angels stole the Holy Swords?"

Before either could respond, Kurin answered it for them. "That would be Kokabiel, one of the Grigori's commanders. If you're wondering how I know that name, you two...well, you will soon enough. I'll find you guys soon." Despite the surprise, both slowly nodded, and then left the whole area.

He sighed, covering his face with his right hand. Hopefully, he could find a way to assist the two the next day. It didn't take long, though, for him to come up with a crazy idea. He just hoped that it could really convince the two girls into accepting this help, even though it would be very risky for the reinforcements involved. Knowing Xenovia's convictions, she would be difficult to convince. Irina, he didn't have much of a problem with, but Xenovia's a very stubborn person. Of course, he knew that firsthand from her living with him.

Little did he know how a small issue would end up working huge in his favor.

* * *

 **AN: Probably two or three chapters more until the Excalibur arc is finished. I've also been working on a few other stories that I haven't published. Might get to releasing them in a few more months. I want to at least finish a few chapters before putting them up. Some of the questions I've been given through PMs or reviews won't really be answered in the long term until I get to that, but I have been thinking as to how to answer them ever since they've been sent to me.**

 **So, as usual, leave a review below to tell me your thoughts on the chapter.**


	12. Into The Long Night

"If only it were that easy to convince others to listen." Saji said as he sat next to Asia, watching the two exorcists eat voraciously. The food was being served up by Kurin and his Fallen and Devil housemates.

"If only indeed." Kurin said from the kitchen as he delivered more food, to which the two gratefully accepted and devoured. "Good food is hard to come by, though." He joked.

Kurin had enlisted Sona's pawn, Saji, for some assistance in his plan to convince Xenovia and Irina to assist them in their mission. The blond pawn only relented thanks to Koneko's assistance (and persistence on getting his help) on the matter. Later on, they were joined by Asia, and despite thinking that it would be difficult finding them, it was actually pretty easy to spot them…

They were _begging_ for alms. Kurin couldn't help but laugh internally at their predicament. He then had an idea in his head, and put it straight to work. The result, of course, is what was currently happening at this point.

Kurin offered to feed the two food, not yet telling them of his true intentions. Though he already suspected that they would piece it together anyway.

Koneko merely watched on in passive interest, choosing to not say a word.

"They must've been really hungry if they could eat so much." Asia noted, surprised at the speed they're going at.

"Which is why we're lucky Kurin always has time to market for food." Kalawarner said aloud.

"And the money he has in stock too!" Xuelan remarked.

"Speaking of which, how is it that you never seem to run out of money, Kurin-san?" Saji asked.

At first, nothing came from Kurin, until he came out with another batch of food, so busy with earlier that he wasn't able to answer immediately.

"Well, my aunt and uncle left me their will, bequeathing me all their wealth and belongings. There was also another will left for me...my parents'. When they died, it would be given to them. But now that they're gone too, I'm pretty much the sole owner of everything they owned. And...it's a lot, I'll just say. All the money is under a bank account to which only I can access." He explained.

"If that was the case, why didn't you go and buy a bigger house with all that money?" Irina asked, briefly pausing from her voracious satiation of hunger. Kurin looked back at her with a shake of his head.

"At the time, it wasn't like I had a reason to. I was alone in the house most of the time, I had enough space for everything I needed, and I don't need much at all. Not to mention I still own the house that belonged to my aunt and uncle, so most of their belongings are there under lock and key. Though with more and more staying at my house, clearly, I may have to reconsider..." He said.

"Kurin, thank you for all of this. We appreciate it. This is also really good." Xenovia said, bowing her head down.

Irina prayed to God for the generosity they had given, which in turn just gave everyone else but Kurin and Raynare headaches. Irina quickly apologized for her action. Force of habit, she explained. Kurin just chuckled, turning to Xenovia.

"Eh, you probably know why I'm also doing this." Kurin said.

"Why would you want to help us? I thought your president agreed not to be involved." Irina questioned.

"It's more about wanting to help Yumi-chan with her problem. She's so vengeance-riddled that clearly, she hadn't had much help in moving on with her past. Of course, we don't want to lose her, so we really want to help you guys with this. Also adding to that is the threat of the Excaliburs themselves. And of course, I have a bone to pick with Kokabiel." Kurin answered.

Both exorcists nodded in understanding.

"You said you know about Kokabiel. How?" Irina asked.

"Ray-chan and Kala-chan were once part of a group of four Fallen Angels who had been working under Azazel's authority here in Kuoh, observing over any humans who could possess a Sacred Gear. That human of course, was me. As for what happened after..." Kurin went on to explain the rest, from Asia's first meeting and involvement to the church battle where he fought Dohnaseek. All the while, both the exorcists and Saji were listening with rapt eyes and ears.

"To conclude, after I had dealt with Dohnaseek, I found out from his last words that Kokabiel was his master, Asia was then resurrected with Rias's bishop piece, Mittelt then left to report to Azazel, and of course, both Kala-chan and Ray-chan then stayed here with me. And things have been fine ever since then."

"Interesting. As usual, you've led a continuously interesting life after I was gone." Xenovia remarked, impressed.

"Wow, to think you had dealt with that Fallen Angel with ease." Irina voiced out. _'_ _It would not be a bad thing to recruit his help...'_

"Thanks, you two." Kurin said.

"Back to our main concern, does your president approve or is even aware of this?" Xenovia asked.

"Of course not." The boy quickly said, lightly laughing. It made the other boy cry out in anguish.

"I am so whipped." Saji cried. Asia just placed a hand on his back, trying to reassure him.

"I've also got help from Kala-chan and Xue-chan for this, just for more added backup." Kurin added.

"When do we strike?" Xuelan asked.

"But we haven't even gotten their answer yet!" Saji interrupted.

"We accept." Both exorcists said. "Admittedly, we knew we only had at least a 30% chance of coming out of this alive. We were both aware that we might die here. We were sent by the church to sacrifice ourselves, in basic terms." Xenovia explained.

"Hey, no one's gonna die here. Well, no one else aside from me, that is." Kurin joked. "None of you are going to die under my watch. I can promise you that."

Xenovia smiled. "Thank you, Kurin-kun."

Saji dropped his head to the table in comical fashion, muttering, "I'm dead...so dead." All the while Asia just continued to comfort the poor guy, Saji fearing for what his beloved King might do to him as punishment.

Kurin grinned. "Then its decided. We'll need to talk to Yumi-chan about this first, though. However, if we have to, we can't let Rias nor Sona know about it. Asia," He then turned to the blonde. "I'm sorry, but you can't go with us yet. You still haven't mastered the healing field I've been teaching you about."

She nodded. "I understand."

Once the two were done, Kurin took the plates and brought them to the kitchen, where he then cleaned them up. He was assisted by Xuelan and Raynare. Once finished with that, he went to find Xenovia. He eventually found her in his room.

"Honestly, I thought it'd take a lot more to convince you, Xen-chan." Kurin said as he entered. "What's up?"

Xenovia was silent for a few.

"I didn't think I'd see you again, to be honest. If this is my last chance to be with you, in this short time we'll have, I'll take that. Even if it means I might die here." She said, turning to him.

"Hey." The boy called out. He reached out and took her right hand and clasped with his,, creating a short lace that bound them together. "Remember this?" She slowly nodded. "Before you left, I promised to protect you and be alongside you when we meet again. This is a representation of that. I'm not going to let you go die for something like that. We can do this together."

Xenovia closed her hand around his. The memories all come back to her. She pulled his arm to wrap hers around his body in a tight embrace.

"I missed you." Kurin said.

"I know." She replied.

The plan was almost set.

* * *

"Both of you, enough." Kurin said, calming down Yumi and Xenovia after their initial exchange of words. "I'd rather we get this over with words than swords."

Both swordsmistresses looked at the other with their weapons.

"You're not the only one who despises the Holy Sword Project." Xenovia was the first to stop, releasing her grip on her sword.

"The church as a whole abhorred it. The project's leader was then branded a heretic and was exiled for good. Valper Galilei, that was the leader's name. The 'Archbishop of Massacre,' was what he was called. His ideals were in a direction completely opposite of the church's goals." Irina explained.

The name made Yumi scowl. "He had them all killed." She said.

"The information from our sources said that he was working with a stray exorcist. Freed Sellzen was his assistant." Xenovia said.

"As long as I get Valper, I'm okay with working with you two." She said.

Xenovia and Irina nodded. "Then it's done. We meet up later tonight." Both of them then left. "And Kurin...thank you, again." She lastly said.

"That went better than we expected." Raynare said.

"Better than we expected?! Guys, we might've almost started a war between the Church and the Devils!" Saji exclaimed.

"What matters is that it didn't happen. No war, we can do this as covert as we can. Right, Yumi?" Kurin replied, turning to the taller blonde girl. She just gripped her sword.

"Guys...don't. Please, for your sakes. I don't want you guys to get involved in this."

"Too late." Raynare chimed with a smile that meant, _"No, nothing you can do about that."_

Yumi sighed. "Are you sure?"

"Yup." Kurin finalized.

"But why? Why would you all go that far for me?" She asked.

"Do we _need_ a reason why? Because you're our friend? Because I don't want to see you go in this path? Because we care about you so much? Yumi-chan, we're family, like Rias-chan said." Kurin gave.

"Family..." Yumi looked up, tears glistening. "Buchou gave me a reason to live."

"I know. I think it's time you tell us your story from your view. About the experiments. About what you went through. We're here to listen, right guys?" Kurin and Yumi saw the smiles on all of their faces, including Saji, who was doubtful at first, but as a friend of Kurin, he's willing too. Seeing this lit Yumi's heart.

"Alright. However, I'll keep it short but detailed."

* * *

 _The Holy Sword Experiment...it was a cruel and vile way to find out if we can be able to wield the Holy Swords. Day in and day out, they kept...experimenting on us. They did whatever it took to find out if we have the capability to do so._

 _We didn't have freedom. They took it from us._ _We were kept in an abandoned chapel that was turned into their laboratory, where we slept, where we ate, where we stayed put until we were called up._ _We were treated horribly like_ _as if_ _we weren't humans._ _Day by day, one by one, we were tested. We didn't like it. But we held onto the belief that we were chosen by God. With that belief, we all endured._

 _Until they decided to deem it a failure because none of us could use the swords. So they decided to kill all of us to hide everything about the experiments._

 _I could still remember the faces of all of them, suffering as they were slowly dying, as I was as well._ _We were all praying, begging for God's help. Of course it didn't really come. We were all crawling, desperate to get out._

 _But they wanted me to be free._ _I don't know why they chose me, but they grabbed onto all of them, and cried out for me to run._

" _Run!"_

" _Get out of here!"_

" _Go! Leave us!"_

" _Remember us!"_

 _I ran. I ran from that place as far as possible, remembering their cries of help, their pleas to get me to run away. I couldn't get away from that. I could still hear them. It would haunt me to the present. They were searching for me, and it just made me keep going._

 _I felt the effects of their poison on me, and I fell to my knees and coughed out blood, falling down on the snow, unable to move. I could hear footsteps in the snow, and I thought to myself, 'I can't...go out like this. I can't let their deaths be in vain. I can't die. I'm not going to die!'_

 _It was then that I looked up to see the glowing red hair, shining in the moonlight of the snowy night. I could tell she was looking down at me._

" _Live for me." She said._

 _Endure...and survive. Endure...and survive._

 _I would always be grateful to Rias-buchou for giving me new life and a new family. But I always knew that the only reason I escaped was because of my lost friends. I wanted to avenge them, for all the things they did to us._

* * *

"This is why I would've wanted to do this myself. I would use the grudges of my friends to power myself. To destroy the Holy Swords, that is my goal. I was the only one who survived, so I feel it is my responsibility for avenging them." Yumi finished.

Saji was in tears, while Asia and Xuelan were comforting the poor boy once he heard her story, though they were also slightly tearing up too. Raynare and Kalawarner frowned in sadness from the tragic past the swordsmistress held.

Kurin had took the girl in an embrace. "I understand your desire, Yumi. They'd want you to live for them." It wasn't too long ago that he himself wanted vengeance for the murder of his guardians. He knew what she was going through, but unlike him, she had people to support her.

For Kurin? From day one he didn't have anyone to support him, except for Sellorion, and even he couldn't really stop him. He didn't know any of the friends he had now, his parents were already dead years ago, and now without his guardians, the only one left was the embodiment of the Undying Remorse. However, as it was stated before, he couldn't stop him. Kurin was just consumed with depression from the deaths he witnessed. And of course, he took those same words he just said himself to his heart, and came out just a bit better than before.

But this is a story for another time, and more will come, for sure.

Saji wiped the tears from his face and showed a determined face. "I don't care what Sona-sama says! I will help you guys to the end!" He said.

Kurin smiled through the embrace. "That's the spirit, Saji."

"I'll also assist you." Koneko tugged at Yumi's sleeves on her blouse.

"Koneko-chan? You too?" Yumi's eyes grew wide.

"I don't want to lose you, Yumi-senpai."

"Heh. I can't go alone now, with all of you trying to stop me." Yumi chuckled.

Kurin smiled. "Then it's settled."

The afternoon had passed like a blur to the young human, and the moon was eventually up.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come?" Asia asked as Kurin was the last to leave the house. Raynare, Xuelan, and Kalawarner were already outside, waiting for him.

Kurin flashed a reassuring smile. "We'll be fine, Asia. Just keep honing your healing field that we've been working on while we're gone. I know you're almost there."

Asia smiled back. "Alright, Kurin-kun. Stay safe." Asia closed the door, and Kurin turned to his three companions.

"Right, then. Shall we? We'll meet up with Koneko, Yumi, and the two at the abandoned church." Receiving nods from the three, they used their wings to fly and get there quicker.

"Mmhmm. So you think it's time? Alright. I wish you the best of luck, Kurin-san. I'll hold another game night for us soon. Do invite some of your friends next time." Azazel hung up the phone with a chuckle, returning to focus on his fishing.

"You have confidence they can pull it off?" A white-haired, blue-eyed woman in an elegant gray jacket and pants asked the blond Fallen leader. The moonlight reflected her beautiful form, and anyone would've been entranced by her. Not Azazel, though. This person was someone he regarded as his own kid.

"I believe they can, Vivian. Doesn't hurt to have backup, though, but that doesn't mean I don't have full confidence in him."

The White Dragon Empress smirked. "Ara ara, he's improved since we had last met, hasn't he?"

"Lots. If you fight him now, it would end in a draw." Azazel said as his hook caught one.

Putting his phone back in his pocket, he turned back to his friends. "Alright, we're good to go." Walking inside the church, they saw the two exorcists waiting for them.

Xenovia walked over and embraced Kurin. "Good to see you again."

"We just saw each other hours ago." He noted.

"I know. But I want to take every moment like it was my last."

"We'll make it through." The two released each other from their respective grip. "So, what do we do?"

Irina then threw them each a robe. "Church robes. We want you to disguise yourselves as priests and search the city for the swords."

As they all wore the robes, Xenovia added, "If there's anything useful you find, or if you're in danger, give either of us a call. We'll split up in groups. Me, Irina, and two of you will search on the East side. The others will search the West side."

They all nodded. Still, Xuelan couldn't help but note the situation they're in. "Isn't it pretty ironic that the Devils in this room are wearing church robes?" That statement didn't go unnoticed by any of them.

"True. But if this is the only way, then I'll do it to get my revenge." Yumi said, buttoning up her set of robes.

"I'll partner with the two exorcists." Kalawarner said as she finished up putting on the robe.

"I'll join them as well." Xuelan offered.

"Alright. Then that means we'll take the other route." Kurin said.

Once all of them finished putting on the robes, they all went and split.

 _ **[She's in this city. Keep your senses sharp, Kurin.]**_ Sellorion warned.

' _Got it.'_

"Have you been talking with Sellorion again, Kurin-senpai?" Koneko called out.

He nodded. "Just gave me something to think about." He turned to Yumi. "I've also had my thoughts as to where they might be."

Yumi had an idea as to where they might be, and she led them to a familiar place to her teammates.

"This place, huh? This was where we first fought a stray devil together and killed her." Kurin said. _'Of course, I teleported her to a place in the underworld instead of killing her, and also purifying her of the corruption of her powers. I only hope she's recovering well.'_

"You guys fought a stray devil?" Saji asked.

"Yeah. It was a bit of a way for me to learn what it's like being part of a peerage." Raynare answered as Koneko and Yumi stepped forward.

"Do you guys feel that?" Kurin asked. Even as a human, with his Gear he could feel the different auras being radiated around him, and it included the aura radiating from a Holy Sword (not belonging to him, of course, as each Sword holds a distinct aura different from one another).

"Up there!" They all looked up to see a familiar foe charging down at Yumi. She drew her sword to block the attack in time.

"Hello, Freed. How's life, you stupid bastard?" Kurin greeted.

"Why just fine and dandy, shitty little human. I got here this nice-looking Excalibur sword and I'm gonna gut you all with it! I thought I saw some fresh meat to feed my sword with, but it just turned out to be some stupid Devils and Fallen Angels cosplaying around." For added measure, Freed licked the blade of his Excalibur.

"So, which Excalibur is that, huh?" Kurin's body glowed purple before receding. Saji, Koneko, and Raynare took off their robes.

"Aww, five on one? I'm touched~" Freed giggled madly before them.

"Don't be ridiculous. _I'm_ your only opponent here!" Yumi leaped after him. Freed took a jump back. When the girl landed, he struck, bringing down his sword.

"To answer your question, you shit human, this is the Holy Sword of the Heavenly Flare, commonly known as Excalibur Rapidly. I just like to call it my chopper sword because it just chops, chops, CHOPS!" The stray exorcist explained as he clashed with Yumi in the night sky, colliding like bullets.

"Freed's as fast as Yumi-chan now. The speed's definitely coming from the sword. It's canceling out Yumi's speed boost as a Knight." Raynare observed.

"You'll all get your turn to die once I kill this bitch!" Freed called out, grinning like a madman as he continued to fight.

Sensing worse things to come, Koneko subtly contacted Irina for help.

"Any way we can help Kiba-san?" Saji asked.

"I'm hoping to use my new power, but they're too fast for me to use on Yumi-chan." Kurin replied.

Saji grinned. "Leave that to me. Line!" His right arm glowed a reddish purple, and on his arm was a small dragon-like wristband, shooting out a glowing blue cord that wrapped itself around Freed, plummeting him to the ground. "How do you like that? This is my Sacred Gear, _Absorption Line_!"

Freed tried to cut the bonds with his sword, but it wouldn't budge. "Another dragon artifact?! You've gotta be fucking kidding me!"

"Nice work, Saji-san!" Kurin congratulated. He turned to Yumi in the air as he wrote in the air the letters for his next move. Each letter would appear in front of him and glow purple like his body before.

"Empowered Amplification!" He pushed his hands on the two words, heading straight for Yumi, who absorbed the words' power. Immediately her body glowed purple as well.

"Let it rip, girl!" He called out.

"Then it's time! Sword Birth!" With the magic circle above her head, she slammed the Demonic Sword on the ground, and multiple swords popped out, quickly approaching the bound stray exorcist.

Panicking at the sight of the swords about to stab him, he quickly started cutting down the swords way too close to his liking.

"You can't keep this up forever, Freed!" Yumi called while pouring out all of her power in that one attack.

"You wanna bet on that, sword bitch?!"

"Hmm, Sword Birth." A new voice appeared, and the man in white robes walked out of the building. "In the right hands, it would be one of the most powerful Sacred Gears in existence." He looked up at the stray exorcist. "Freed, you haven't gotten used to using your Excalibur, have you?"

"Who's... _you_." Yumi rasped once she recognized the man below her. " _Valper Galilei._ "

"So that's him." Kurin remarked.

Followed by Koneko's words, "This is the man behind the Holy Sword Experiment."

Freed grinned upon seeing the exiled priest. "Ah, Old man Valper! Well, I got a little tied up here, so to speak."

"Should be simple enough for you, then. Use the power within your body into the blade. The sword should glow and grow in power once you do."

His grin grew. "Ohhhh so that's how." Once his energy started coursing through the blade, it glowed a bright yellow. "THIS IS AWESOME!" He cut down the offending binding around his ankle, and Saji recoiled from the force of the cut. "To think it was just that simple as the old man said. Now..." He turned to Yumi. "TIME TO BLEED!" He leaped up and was about to bring down the sword…

...only to be interrupted by three blades: one from Xenovia's own Excalibur, a second from Kalawarner's special weapon, and a third from Kurin's armblades.

"Nice timing, you two." Kurin said, and they forced out Freed.

Irina and Xuelan arrived as well, taking off their own robes in favor of their battle clothes. Irina greeted the two Devils and Fallen Angel.

"How did they-" Saji was about to ask when Koneko answered him.

"I called them. That was the plan."

"Freed Sellzen, Valper Galilei," Xenovia called out. "For your crimes against the church and humanity, by the name of God, I will cut you down!"

"Do not...ever say that name...TO MY FACE!" Freed managed to overpower all three blades crossed against him. With the opening, he jumped back to Valper's side.

"Remember your mission, Freed. For now, we must retreat." He told him.

"Whatever you say, old geezer." He turned to Yumi and Xenovia. "Sorry to cut our fun, but it's a buh-bye from me!" He dropped a smoke bomb, and they were gone, despite the two girls' attempts to stop them.

"Irina, let's go!" Irina nodded, and the three gave chase.

Kurin and Raynare jumped down next to their other friends.

"Aren't we gonna chase them down too?" Saji asked.

Kurin shook his head. "Nope. I think they'll call us to let us know if anything came up. Not to mention...we've been found, haven't we," He turned around to see two familiar magic circles take shape. "Rias-chan?"

"You have a lot of explaining to do, Kurin-kun." Rias said, arms crossed.

"Kaichou!" Saji exclaimed in shock.

Sona was _not_ happy. "You will explain yourself, Saji."

The poor blond pawn was gonna be whipped.

* * *

"You never told me Xenovia was once your student, Kurin-kun." Rias said.

Inside the old building, Kalawarner and Xuelan were leaning against the wall, while Kurin, Raynare, and Koneko were standing in front of their President and Vice President.

"It wasn't like it would impact what we would've done. In the end I still wanted to help Yumi-chan and steer her away from going down that road for good." Kurin explained. "The road paved with vengeance, though always with good intentions, was never gonna end well. I knew that better than most."

He turned to Saji, who was kneeling down in front of Sona, who was giving him a verbal lashing, and turned back to Rias. "Either way, pledging non-intervention forced my hand. Sure, there was the connection I had with Xenovia-chan that made the decision a bit easier to do, but I knew there was no way they were gonna survive without any help, especially against the one pulling the strings behind all of this: Kokabiel."

"Why do you think he's behind this?" Akeno asked.

He smirked. He knew what he was about to say next would raise a lot of questions, but he was ready for most, if not all of them. "Azazel and I had been investigating about it over time, and we knew the evidence, though not solid, points to him being the puppetmaster of these events."

 _That_ stopped everyone in their tracks. Sona stopped giving her punishment to Saji to turn to him, shocked as everyone else.

"AZAZEL?!" Everyone collectively gasped out.

"You had contact with Azazel-sama?!" The two Fallen Angels asked.

"Yup. He's also one of the people I'm holding a contract with."

"Does this mean the Fallen Angels as a whole have no desire for war?" Sona asked.

Kurin nodded. "True to a T. However, if Kokabiel succeeds in whatever his plan involving the Holy Swords are, then all three sides will have _no_ choice but to go to war. What we had done now no doubt will affect your world, but it's gonna be more than what I've done now. We have to stop them."

"It's gonna be on Yumi-chan or Xenovia-chan to call us if anything comes up. I just hope they actually do." He continued. "For now...we might have to leave things be for tonight."

Everyone else nodded. "That is best suitable. Saji," Sona turned to her pawn. "We're not finished."

Saji just shook with fear, sweating bullets.

Rias sighed, turning to her group. "What will I do with you now?"

Kurin raised a hand. "Don't punish any one of them. They all just followed through in my plan. They all wanted to help. If you have to punish someone, then it should be me."

Rias thought about it for a few minutes, eventually giving her decision. "Alright, Kurin. A hundred cuts to your arms." She decreed, readying her magic.

Well, better to have bleeding arms than to have a pained butt like Saji, he supposed.

* * *

On the way back home, Kurin bandaged up his arms.

"Asia should be able to heal this up." He said.

The other girls looked at him in concern. "Are you sure?" Xuelan asked.

"I'll be fine. Dying frequently tends to make me shrug off this pain." He answered.

That only made them more worried. How many times had he died _before_ being pulled into all of this?

He then felt a lot of weight on his whole body, and he realized that he was being embraced by all the girls. "Don't die on us, please." Rias said.

He shook his head. "Sorry, Rias-chan, everyone, but I can't do that. No matter what we do to prevent it, I am gonna die and revive on some occasions. It's just how it goes with me. I know it's hard seeing me like that again and again, but it just happens with me. But I'm not gonna go down without a fight, I'll tell you. I want to protect all of you with my life. You all mean something to me." He paused. "I'm glad you guys care about me. I'm happy with that."

They all saw the happy look he had facing them and released him from their respective embrace. They all continued walking back home. Opening the door, they were greeted by Asia, who had been wearing an apron on top of her clothes.

"Welcome back, everyone! I've been cooking dinner for all of you while you were gone. I just need some finishing touches. Kurin-kun, could you help, please?" She said.

They smiled. While Kurin was the best among them in cooking, Asia was a close second after being taught by him on top of her Healing Field training. This meant that they were gonna have really good food.

Kurin nodded. "Of course, Asia-chan. Have you been honing on your Field while we were gone? I hope the training and cooking didn't impact the other much."

She happily nodded back. "Yes! It's steadily improving, but the field still isn't big enough to cover a wide area myself. While I could cover up to ten meters amplified with your power share, I'd say I've only been able to cover up to almost three meters at this point."

Kurin patted Asia's head. "That's good progress, Asia, especially considering we only started it just a week ago. We'll be able to get that to eight to ten meters in a few weeks, and with my power share to amplify you, it would double that length."

"Hai! I'll keep going!" With that, both students went off to the kitchen.

The night went on with all of them sharing to Asia what had happened when they went off as they ate. The next afternoon, however, unfortunately didn't bring much good news.

The next meeting after classes had Yumi absent, as Asia, Raynare, and Kurin heard the news from their president.

"So, Yumi-chan still hasn't called." Kurin said.

"I was hoping that she was able to finish off that stray exorcist along with Xenovia-san and Irina-san, but I'm getting worried now." Rias told him.

"I am too. Have you sent a search party to scan?" Kurin asked.

Rias nodded. "We summoned our familiars to carry out that responsibility."

"How has it been?" Raynare asked.

"Not much, we still haven't-" The redhead's words were interrupted when one of the familiars sent out a signal for Rias to detect. "It looks like we've found someone." She made sure to leave Sona a message before departing with her team.

Appearing at the familiar's location, they all saw a downed Irina, whose clothes had been mostly shredded, covering up some of her vital parts.

"This isn't good. Asia, with me!" Kurin instructed. Both rushed to the injured exorcist. Immediately Asia applied her Twilight Healing on her, while Kurin wrote words as he did last night. Moments later, clothes were conjured, laid down beside her.

Once he noticed Irina stirring, he gently laid a hand on her arm. "Did Yumi and Xenovia make it out?"

She slowly nodded. "They...ran. I...tried to...buy them time, but...he's just...too strong." She hoarsely spoke. "Please...watch yourselves." She fell back to unconsciousness.

A white circle appeared on the ground, and Sona, her vice president Tsubaki, and her pawn Saji arrived as well.

"I came as soon as I got your message." The student council president said as she knelt down to check on Irina. "She's badly hurt. While it doesn't look much, she's suffered some injuries."

Asia nodded. "I healed her as best as I could, but it can't recover her lost energy."

"She can be brought back to my house. She can recuperate in the healing room I have there. Tsubaki, if you would."

"Of course." Tsubaki took Irina into her arms and stood up. Kurin stood, gently laying down the clothes on Irina's body.

"Take care of her. When she wakes up, tell her the clothes are from me." Kurin requested.

Tsubaki only nodded and disappeared from the field with Sona's magic.

"So, Xenovia and Kiba retreated. While I'm still concerned as to where they are, I'm a bit relieved they made it out okay, at least." Kurin said.

"How are your arms?" Saji asked.

"It's alright." He showed them, and they were clean as if they didn't undergo the punishment he received last night.

All the Devils then coiled over, holding their bodies in pain. Kurin and the two Fallen Angels readied their weapons. "Show yourself, Freed." Kurin said aloud.

"Found out already, eh?" Freed walked out, Holy Sword in hand. "So, you all got baited out. How nice."

"Enough talk." In mere moments, Kurin's fist was reaching Freed's face.

"W-wait, wait! Time out! I only came out here to talk to the red-haired girl!"

Kurin swept him off his feet instead. He pointed one of his armblades at his face. "You're lucky I decided not to punch you outright. Who wants to talk with her?"

"That would be me." The sky changed. The atmosphere felt different. All of them felt a spike of power coming from one person. Up above was a ten-winged Fallen Angel, floating with his wings.

' _Kokabiel.'_ Kurin thought as he retreated back to his friends.

 _ **[This is him? I'm surprised. I thought he'd feel stronger than what I'm detecting.]**_ Sellorion said.

' _Easy now, Sel.'_

"Rias Gremory. The heir to the House of Gremory. This would be the first time we've ever met, yes? I'm Kokabiel." The deranged leader greeted.

"Greetings to you, Kokabiel. What brings you here to our territory?"

"Cutting to the chase, are we? You are like your brother in a few ways, your hair being the most prevalent of them all. Your hair reminds me of him: Sirzechs, the Crimson Satan."

"What is the purpose of this meeting? It is uncommon for a leader of a faction to come out for a simple conversation."

He grinned. "Quite simple. I'd like to have some...fun in the area around Kuoh Academy, which just so happens to be your headquarters. Of course, if I do that, then your brother _has_ to come. Only right for a brother to come to the aid of a sibling."

"If you do this, then you _will_ trigger another war between all three factions once more." Rias warned.

He showed his teeth in his sadistic grin. "Is that not the point? I expected Michael to come after the Excaliburs, but he instead sent a pathetic exorcist and two women with Excaliburs of their own. Pitiful, really. But of course, it still doesn't make me satisfied."

"Then you really do want to start another war." Raynare realized.

"Correct, little traitors." Kokabiel stated to the two Fallen Angels. "You both were once in the little team I had sent to kill off any hindrances to my plan, but instead you two turned against me for this...this...this human. I'll make sure you both are the first casualties of this war."

Kurin stepped in front of the two, shielding them with his body. "You're not gonna get them." He said to himself, briefly glancing at the two before turning back to the ten-winged leader.

"Neither Azazel nor Shemhaza wanted another war. Instead, what Azazel wanted to do in this time of peace was collect and research these 'Sacred Gear', for whatever reason it is." He continued.

"You think Azazel wants those gear in exchange for war?" Kurin asked, though he already knew the answer to that.

" _No, Kurin. As much as I do want to learn more about these, I would not desire to risk war for a few special trinkets." The Head of the Fallen Angels told him._

"He could be pretty fanatical over them, so it's possible." Kokabiel mused. "Anyways, though you might not have noticed it, but all three factions are at the brink of another war, no matter how peaceful things seem to look here. All I have to do is just give one more push, and then my desire can now be fulfilled."

"Huh, Azazel was right when he said you've gone insane." Kurin whispered to himself.

"This time, however, I will have you Devils start it, with the sister of Lucifer, Rias Gremory, and the sister of Leviathan, Sona Sitri. With your school holding massive amounts of magical energy, just think of the chaos that will engulf the whole field! It's the perfect battleground for the war!" He laughed once he finished.

Freed opened up his coat to reveal the Excaliburs that were in his possession. "He's pretty much the reason why I feel so elated with all of this happening! I'm able to use all of these swords." He took the ribbon on his arm, and it brandished into a sword. "I got this from the pig-tailed girl, if you were wondering."

' _That's Irina's sword!'_ Kurin thought.

"Let's begin, shall we, Rias Gremory?" Kokabiel used his magic to blast away at them, but Sona, Rias, Kurin, and Akeno used their magics to shield everyone.

He and Freed were nowhere to be found soon after. They looked at the overarching view of the city.

"They're headed for the academy, no doubt, and Valper's already starting the process, I assume." Kurin said as he looked ahead at the city.

"A Fallen Angel of Kokabiel's level can easily erase this city, with their plans centered in the area around the academy as well. He really wants to start this off with a bang." Sona said.

"We're not gonna let that happen, right everyone?" Kurin asked.

They all nodded. "RIGHT!"

A ray of light beamed up from the track and field area near the academy, with both Yumi and Xenovia watching from separate places, spotted by Kurin as he flew towards the main school building, with the others on their way. They were gonna be on their way as well, and he knew they will.

"You understand the situation, right?...Yes, it's merely the work of one of the Fallen Angel Leaders, but it seems he's doing it as a rogue...You and I both know that neither Azazel nor Shemhaza would want to start another war...He's gone insane by the looks of it...Yes, I've confirmed he's acting out alone, with a few exiled church officials assisting him...an hour and a half, give us an hour and a half before you decide to intervene and help us. I'll let you know when we've finished this. Alright, thank you for your time, Grayfia-san, and I'm pretty sure Sirzechs-sama will be informed of this immediately. We'll make sure we can beat him, with or without your assistance...Have faith in us, Grayfia-san. We can do it."

As the sun sets, and the moon rises, Kurin only had one concerning thought:

' _Vivian, when will you show yourself?'_

* * *

 **AN: First, yes, I made Vali a girl. Vali and Kurin had some past before the start, and in the future, there's gonna be two more who had a part in Kurin's past/backstory, which will be out in the next arc. Will I pair her up with him? Maybe, leaning into yes, really, but I'll see where it goes.**

 **Second, sorry for the long delay. I've been writing a lot more than this story, including my story in Fairy Tail, and one other story. What I'm trying to do is to write up all three a new chapter at the same time along with editing, so that means a longer delay. Hopefully when I write faster it means shorter delays. A bit hard without a beta reader, but I've gotten by this far.**

 **So, if you can, as usual, leave a review.**


	13. The School Battle

With the help of the Student Council, a large protective barrier covering the entirety of the school was built up, and they themselves were maintaining the strength of the defense.

"We don't know how long this will hold, especially if the situation changes, so if you guys can, please finish this fast." Sona said.

"Here, let me help you." Kurin clasped his hands, and in sudden smoke, an identical doppelganger appeared.

"Wha-" All parties looked at the two. While both were similar in stature, one noticeable difference was there: While Kurin's longcoat was black, the doppelganger's was white.

"I've essentially put a bit of sustaining power in him to help you guys hold this barrier. I assure you, it's not gonna affect me much in this fight." Kurin explained, while his clone saluted.

"Whatever needs to be done, just tell me." He told them.

Tsubaki then returned after fulfilling her duties in taking care of Irina.

"Is Irina alright?" Raynare asked.

"Thanks to Argento-san, Irina is in no mortal danger." The Student Council VP answered, causing Asia to smile in relief.

"On the topic of the two, I know they'll show up. I did try to call Xenovia-chan, but nothing." Kurin said.

"And Yumi-chan?" Saji asked.

"No response from her either. But I feel that those two are alright. They wouldn't leave us behind to face a threat like this." The human said.

"In any case, we'll do our best to keep the barrier up, and with Kurin's assistance, it could be the boon to keep us going a bit further. That being said, it doesn't mean the school building itself will not suffer any damage. In any case, it would be a regrettable loss for all of us involved." Sona said.

"I'm not going to let that happen." Rias defiantly said.

"Rias, we still have time. Ask for assistance from your brother." Sona said, with a bit of a hint of pleading.

Of course, Rias shook her head. "Shouldn't you be calling your sister for help too?"

Kurin, unnoticed by everyone else, blanched. _'Serafall. Dear gods...I don't know if I could trust myself if I see her face again.'_

Serafall Leviathan. Now that was a name he hadn't heard in a long time. Not since the last time they had met, which was some time after the death of his aunt and uncle. Frankly, he was relieved to not have heard anything about her, but at the same time he wasn't sure if he was prepared to see her again. But he pushed that thought aside.

"No need to worry, Sona-chan. Sirzechs-sama has been notified, as I contacted him. Surprisingly, though, I heard that Grayfia-sama had also notified him of it, as she was called by Kurin to notify her about the situation." Akeno said, who had returned from doing just that.

"Akeno?! Kurin-kun?! I didn't ask either of you to do that!" Rias exclaimed, taken aback.

"Rias, I know you don't want to trouble your brother with this, but we are facing an enemy that's just way out of our league. He's a Fallen Angel Leader for a reason." Akeno then gave a small smile. "We will need some help. Let's take their helping hand."

Rias sighed, and for Akeno, that was a sign that she agreed...even though she did not it.

"I called Grayfia-chan a while ago, and I asked her to give us an hour and a half before sending reinforcements, which of course would be here in no time."

"When I had called to inform Sirzechs-sama, he told me the same thing. We have an hour and a half before reinforcements arrive."

Rias smiled in relief. "Always one step ahead, both of you. We can do this now. An hour and thirty minutes, you say?"

* * *

Entering their building, Rias laid out her plans as, with the Undying Remorse's ability, the Evil Pieces flowed within Kurin with the 8 pawns and Raynare with the Knight.

"Kurin, with your immense strength, you're our main attacker. However, with your ability to share your energy and power, you can also be our support with Asia-chan."

"As you say, Rias-chan. However, I will be flowing my power the moment I complete the promotion to Queen." Everyone nodded at that.

"Koneko, Kalawarner, you both must protect Asia, as she is integral to our success. She is our only healer, and if she's down, we will fall one by one."

"Hai!"

"Everyone else, be on the offensive, but remember to be decoys for the other to attack if space is open. We are the ones who are on the offensive this time as we're storming the academy to prevent Kokabiel from unleashing his power, and unlike our battle with Riser, our lives are on the line. I'm going to make sure none of you will die tonight. Is everyone clear?"

"YES!"

"Then let's move forward!"

' _Promotion: Queen!'_ Kurin felt the surge from the Rating Game mechanic flow into him, and his body glowed a purplish aura. He grinned, the Desolator just being kept patiently in his cloak. With his fingers pressed against each other, he pushed out his hands, facing the rest of his friends. "I'm ready. Flow!"

That same purplish aura flowed into the others, and they felt empowered too. While it would be concerning that the power emanating from a human is flowed into Devils and Fallen Angels, it would turn to be nothing but just a mild inconvenience to them, a twinge on their minds, but nothing more.

They approached the swirling yellow channel of magic.

"Is that..."

"Four Excaliburs, fused into a single one. It's what Valper wants, really." High up, Kokabiel said as he looked down on them.

"Sitting pretty on your chair, Kokabiel?" Kurin greeted.

"Keep that attitude, human, and you will surely die." He said.

Kurin chuckled. "I've heard that many times."

The Fallen Angel grinned. His sights turned to Rias. "So, is it Sirzechs? Or will it be Serafall? Which one will come to your aid, little Devil?"

"Neither. In their place, we will be the ones to stop you." She told him.

Kokabiel snapped his fingers, and he threw a light spear multiple times the size Raynare usually creates at the gymnasium. The gym was engulfed in an explosion that left lots of debris in its wake. Kurin stood, unflinching, using his shield to protect them.

"The gym's gone!" Raynare cried out. _'He's on a whole other level. Not even my strongest could scratch the one he made!'_

 _ **[Are you scared, Kurin?]**_ Sellorion asked.

He grinned at that. _'Of him? Nah. Vivian's near now. You and I can feel her presence even from here. When she arrives, we can then beat the crap out of him. Just have to delay long enough. Even with only us here, we have a good chance.'_

"Since you came all the way here, I'll entertain you for a while."

The ground opened up in a blaze of hellfire. From the opening rose a giant three-headed dog.

"Cerberus." Kalawarner said in both awe and horror.

"The guardian of the gates of Hell." Asia said, fearful.

"He summoned it here in the human world?!" Rias said, eyes wide.

"Nothing we can't handle. The empowerment should give you a huge boost. That being said..." The familiar armblades appeared on his forearms.

"Xuelan-chan, Ray-chan, to me!" The trio charged forth at the monstrous guardian, weapons raised. Cerberus charged towards them as well, blowing out a searing flame breath. This was negated with Akeno's ice magic, switching into her priestess robes. The frozen breath shattered. More three-headed guardians appeared.

Koneko, Akeno, and Rias were busy fighting off one of them, while Kalawarner did her best to fight off one of them as she protected the ex-nun.

And from that, Xenovia appeared, cutting off one animal's head.

"You're late, Xenovia-chan!" Kurin called out.

"Well, I'm here now, aren't I?!" She called back as she sliced through one of the dogs in half. The dog faded into red dust. With the exorcist's help, they started to mount back a resistance. The girls started pumping more power into their attacks, reducing the guardians to mere dust. And that was when Yumi arrived as well, helping them destroy the last one standing.

"Good to see you." Rias said, embracing the swordsmistress.

"I had to come here. It's the only way this ends." She said. "And...I'm sorry for my behavior these past few days."

"It's alright." The ORC president patted her knight on the back.

"What a satisfying start." Kokabiel said. Rias retaliated by throwing a giant ball of destructive energy towards the Fallen Angel. He merely deflected it, and it struck back to the ground, creating an even bigger crater in its wake.

"Hmmm, interesting. This is the power at your disposal with the Undying Remorse's power augmentation." He grinned.

Back outside, everyone holding the barrier felt the immense power. They felt that they may not be able to hold the barrier if not for Kurin's clone, who was occasionally giving them the extra strength needed to continue putting up the barrier.

"It's done!"

"What?!" They all turned to Valper, who was grinning in anticipation of the completion of the sword.

"Oh damn. The sword's now fully fused." Kurin said.

Meanwhile, standing at the overlooking pass, the young White Dragon Empress watched. _'Ne, Kurin-kun, let's see how you'll fare. I hope what Azazel says is true.'_

Back on the battlefield, the yellow circle's glow dissipated, and the sword stood on it's pointed end.

"Once the fusion is complete, I will take the energy exerted from the power of the sword. It's only a matter of time." Kokabiel said.

"You put that much power into a single earth-shattering spell?" Kalawarner asked in disbelief.

"You might as well leave the city while you can. This whole area will be razed in twenty minutes." Valper said.

"We're not going to let you make our home disappear forever!" Raynare said, light spear ready.

"If that's what you want, dear traitors, then the only way to do so is to beat me. So I ask you this," The wings came unfurled, and the throne faded away. "What now, Rias Gremory?!"

Rias and Akeno didn't need to speak as they unleashed their strongest blasts at the Fallen, but he just caught them with ease, surprising the two. Combining them, he threw the blasts back at Rias.

"Buchou!" Akeno and Raynare rushed to her defense. Kurin did so as well, even quicker, coming to the girls' defense, yelling out "Chaos Shield!" The ensuing blast resulted in Kurin taking up more than three quarters of the damage that broke through the shield, while Akeno and Rias only took minimal yet noticeable damage. All four of them had also taken clothing damage, with Kurin's cloak having more than a few holes here and there.

"Kurin-kun!" The girls yelled. Kurin was crashing down to the ground, but was quickly caught by Raynare, who was faster at flying down. Asia came to their aid, as did everyone else.

"Damn, this was my best cloak yet." He chuckled. When she was going to use her healing on him, he waved it off. "Not...yet, girl. Use your Healing Field, but for later."

"Are...are you sure you can stand, Kurin-kun?" Asia asked.

"Heh...give me time." He closed his eyes.

"Kurin!" Raynare quickly lowered her ear to his heart. There was still a beat. She sighed in relief. "He's not dead, at least."

Akeno sighed in relief. She turned to the others. "We may not last long. We can only stall until Sirzech's reinforcements arrive."

Kurin looked up at her, slowly opening his eyes. "Don't feel so down now, Akeno-chan. We can still win this."

It was then that they all saw Yumi approach Valper.

Her sword was ready. "Valper Galilei...you may not know me, but I'm the sole survivor of the Holy Sword Experiments. Though, really, on that day I did die. I am now reborn, and I will not die until I avenge my fallen friends!" She charged forth.

"Yumi, look out!" Rias said as Kokabiel threw a light spear towards her. Koneko and Xuelan tried their best to reach her, but the spear impacted the ground, creating a giant explosion. Both girls were thrown back by the blast force.

As the light faded, Yumi was revealed to have fallen flat on the ground. "Quick one, this girl. She was able to avoid a direct hit despite her currently one-track mind blindsiding her." The fallen angel noted. "Freed! Take the power of the Holy Swords into your hands and finish this once and for all!"

"With pleasure, sir!" He took the sword in his hands. "Now then, who wants first try?" He asked with a manic grin. Both Xenovia and Raynare took off to fight the stray exorcist maniac.

It took a while, but Valper realized who the struggling swordsmistress was as he approached her trying to stand as best as she could. The tired look on her face says it. "Ah, of course. I did hear of an escapee of the subjects, though I did not expect that escapee to be a Devil of all things! Amazing turn of events, really. I must thank you for what you've done really. With your contributions, the experiment was fully realized."

Yumi gasped. "The experiments...were complete?! But how?!"

"Quite simple, but it took me a long time to realize the answer." The ex-priest then explained just how.

"You see, in truth, I had realized that none of you can single-handedly be able to wield the power of the Holy Swords. You all tried, but in the end ultimately failed. This forced me to come up with that answer: to extract that power by force!"

' _WHAT?!'_

"I then found a way to crystallize that power." He revealed a blue crystal, showing it to everyone. "This crystal is made from their power!"

Yumi looked up, and her heart was falling into disarray upon realizing what had happened to her fallen comrades.

All the while both girls continued to do battle with Freed.

Upon seeing the crystal, Xenovia realized, _'That crystal...it's the same one Irina had taken into when were given the Holy Swords. So...it was to give the power that we lacked? So we were...'_ She did not want to continue that thought, for Irina's sake.

"Hypocrites, the church is. They exiled me as a heretic, yet they continue to use the fruits of my research. If it were Michael, he might have taken power without having to kill them."

Yumi stood up, despite the struggle. "Then...none of us would have needed to die. Why, then?!"

"In the end, in all of my experiments, you're just materials. Once it's done, there's nothing left but to dispose of you. What was I going to do if I didn't?" The ex-priest answered.

"How could you...we were taken, believing that we were serving the Lord, and we endured the excruciating pain that came from it. And yet...you thought of us as nothing except for your materials."

Asia, against Kurin's judgment, used her Healing Field, empowered by his share, healing up her friends. Yet one could see the sorrowful look she had upon listening to the exchange between the girl and the exiled priest, as did everyone else. Once the Healing Field's duration ended, she and Rias helped Kurin stand up.

"Would've wanted you to use it a bit later, but thank you." Kurin said, smiling as they walked on. He looked up at the spectating Fallen Angel leader. "He's

Valper threw the crystal at Yumi's feet. "Go ahead. You can use this crystal if you like. We have the technology to produce more refined crystals anyway."

The girl knelt and took it in her hands. "My friends..."

"How could he?!" Raynare said, embracing her boyfriend. "He won't live to see the end of today. He's gonna go to hell for this!"

"Tell me, Valper." Yumi said, standing up. "How many lives did you extinguish for your experiments and your greed?"

It was then that a blue light enveloped around him, and it manifested into numerous forms.

"Are those...people?"

"Yes. Most likely this was the result of this much power flowing around this entire area, along with the souls that Yumi's heart released from the crystal."

Unaware of what was happening around her, Yumi had wondered, "All this time, I keep thinking to myself if I deserved to live, while all my other friends had died. They had better dreams than me. They had a bigger drive to live than me. So...did I deserve this? Did I deserve to live in peace?" Then she looked around, surprised at the sight around her. Her friends' souls were all there by her side.

Kurin just smiled. "Ah, so it _is_ time. Beautiful."

"What is it?" The girls asked.

" **[When a Sacred Gear owner's hopes and dreams reach a certain, transcendent level, with a change in heart or spirit, their Sacred Gear will exceed its limits, thus the name Balance Breaker.]"** Sellorion explained for the boy, as they watched the souls of Yumi's friends wrap around her, ultimately transform into an aura, eventually fading away.

"I understand now. My friends...they never wanted me to pursue revenge. They never did in the first place. However, there is still an evil that must be extinguished." A new sword appeared, this one much more different from before. It had a more distinguishable black streak along it.

"Freed!"

"Coming, boss!" Freed jumped between Yumi and Valper, his Excalibur glowing yellow.

The heretic priest gained a smirk. "You should've died when you had the chance."

Yumi had the support of her friends. Her family. The people that would stay by her side in her new life. She looked at them, then back at the evil standing in front of her, closed her eyes, and smiled.

"Thank you, everyone. With the support of my friends, my comrades now one with my soul, it is time we fulfill the regrets and dreams of the old days. As the knight of my President and allies, I will be their sword! Sword Birth!" Raising her sword, it glowed blue, white, and black, and it transformed into an entirely new one.

"This is the Sword of Betrayal, a holy _and_ demonic sword!" Red inscriptions started to appear on the black streak of her sword.

"Amazing what Balance Breaker can do." Akeno said, astonished.

"A Holy Demonic Sword?! How? How could two opposing forces merge?! This could never happen!" Valper yelled. He honestly wasn't believing what he was seeing.

Yumi walked forth, flanked by both Kurin and Xenovia.

"Do we still stand as allies?" She asked.

"I hope so." Yumi answered.

"Don't think like that, Yumi-chan. You bet we still are!" Kurin said.

"Heh. Then let's work together to destroy the Excalibur." Xenovia said.

"Are you sure, then?"

Xenovia nodded. "That may be a Holy Sword, but it is not a sword that is truly holy. An anomalous sword, one can say."

Kurin nodded. "Right." The Desolator materialized, resting on his hands.

"Impossible! I thought that sword was destroyed!" Valper said, unable to fathom the reappearance of the red sword. Kurin could feel fear radiating from his body. He knew the tide was shifting against the old man.

"I guess you should've looked into it more, old man." Kurin told him.

Xenovia stabbed her sword to the ground and started chanting, "Petra, Basilius, Dionysus, and Mary, the Holy Mother, hear my voice." On her side, a magic circle appeared, and a blue sword bound in chains began to come out. Grabbing the hilt, the chains broke.

"In the name of the saint that rests within this blade, I will unleash..." With a swing, she points the sword towards their enemies. "...Durandal, the Holy Sword!"

"The Holy Sword?!" Yumi said in surprise, looking at the blue-haired sword-wielding exorcist.

"So it has returned, finally." Kurin said. "An Excalibur-tier sword that is said to be able to split anything in this world."

"How could this be?! My research has never produced anyone who can wield the Durandal!" Valper said, shocked.

Xenovia smirked. "You're looking at two individuals who can wield the sword. Unlike Irina or Yumi, we're all-natural." She said.

"Not one, but two genuine Holy Sword wielders?!"

"I've wielded the Durandal before, but I decided to leave that to Xenovia-chan for it, since I already have this with me. The sword can cut through anything it touches. I've trained her for a while to wield the legendary sword, but even then for both of us, it's difficult to wield it, so the sword's sealed in a separate dimension." Kurin explained. "And come on, if you saw me wield the Excalibur Desolator, then you'd realize that I'm a genuine Holy Sword wielder, right?"

"Nothing this sword can't cut!" Freed said and raised his sword. He swung down, only to be blocked by Kurin and the Desolator. The sword forced it to change form. It attacked again, only for Xenovia to cut it apart, forcing it to change form again. Kurin rushed his attack, but Freed backed away in time.

"Didn't see that one coming, did ya?!" Freed said. From behind Kurin, Xenovia leaped forward, sword raised.

"That isn't a complete Holy Sword. It's useless against Durandal!" Freed used the speed boost on his Mimic part to avoid her strike.

"ENOUGH WITH THIS! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" The stray exorcist roared.

"Your rip-off of a Holy Sword..." To his surprise, despite his surge in speed, Yumi was able to catch up to him quite easily. The two clashed, though it was obvious Freed was losing.

And then the sword broke. "...it won't ever break our ties!"

Freed crashed to the ground, the broken hilt right in front of him. "You've got to be fucking kidding me! No way a devil shit is gonna beat me—AAAACK!" He couldn't complete that thought, as his left arm suddenly got hacked off by Yumi.

"I have surpassed the power of Excalibur." She stated. She turned to Valper, who had collapsed onto his back, flinching at the sudden turn. "Prepare to die, Valper Galilei."

"My eyes don't truly deceive me...it isn't possible for the Holy and Demonic forces to converge, unless...that's it! I understand now!" Valper's eyes shined. "If the balance has shifted, then it is actually possible! Then that means that both the Maous _and_ God have-" He would not finish that thought, as he was impaled by Kokabiel. Said individual lowered himself down.

"Valper, I must thank you for your contribution. You were very capable in furthering my plans. The fact that you had managed to get to that thought proved it." He said.

"What is going on here?" Rias asked.

"At the end of it all, they were just a means to an end. With their tasks completed, they've outlived their usefulness. I'm done being the watcher. Now I'll satiate my hunger for blood." He focused his view on Kurin and pointed at him. "You, boy. We do battle."

"No, Kurin! Don't!" They pleaded. Unfortunately for them, he took a step forward and didn't listen.

"Why do you want to fight me?" He asked.

"Does it matter?"

"To me it does."

He grinned. "You interest me, child. You seem to be the strongest among you, and you're a _human_ at that. And also for me to send a message to your other girlfriends for not bringing me Sirzechs or Serafall to battle."

"Then let's get started, shall we?!"Kurin's Desolator dematerialized in favor of his armblades, charging at Kokabiel at fast speeds.

' _I just need to buy time. Hopefully Vivian won't be taking her time for too long.'_

Sellorion chuckled. _**[Like as if you need that girl to help you beat this one, Kurin. You have me!]**_

Kurin laughed. _'Yeah, but this is just the perfect reunion for another friend, really._ _Getting back_ _Xenovia is one perfect reunion already, why not make it two?'_

"You won't be laughing after this battle, child." The Fallen Angel warned, throwing a giant light spear that the human avoided, making sure his friends didn't get hit either.

"I'm only hoping to last long enough." Kurin answered.

"If that's your way of thinking you'll never win!" Kokabiel flashed forward and punched Kurin in the stomach. He recoiled from the hit, but responded with a slash across his face.

"You're too focused, in my opinion." Kurin mocked, and his body glowed purple. "Showtime, everyone!" What Kurin had done was flow his power into them once more. During the whole time Kurin had rested, he had channeled back his shared power back to himself to quicken his recovery. With the human back in full form, he flowed that power back to everyone in his area. Now everyone had glowed purple.

"This power...it's massive! You may even rival the higher-tier devils with this!" Kokabiel said in exhilaration. "It may look like I might not have to wait for Sirzechs with you all here!" He grinned. "Come! Unleash all your power!"

And unleash they did. The Two Great Ladies unleashed their destruction and lightning powers at him. As he blocked those powers, he would try to deflect it back, but Raynare and Xuelan were already in close range, about to strike him. As a result, he could not hold the momentum of both blasts and released them upwards, causing no harm done to anyone else.

Still, Akeno refused to back down. She shot another large bolt of lightning towards Kokabiel, but still, the wings protected him. "You dare attempt to stop me, wielder of Baraquiel's power?"

Akeno only upped the power she unleashed, glaring at him with unbridled rage, telling him, "Never associate me with that name!"

Like before, the wings merely left a slight graze on his clothes. He unfurled them. "Interesting group of friends you have by your side, Rias Gremory. A Sacred Gear-wielding human, a survivor of the Holy Sword Experiments, an ex-nun-turned-devil, two Fallen Angel traitors, a former Phenex peerage member, and Baraquiel's daughter!"

"So it seems my detection senses weren't wrong after all." Kurin had been meaning to ask Akeno about her mixed heritage when he detected Fallen Angel blood in her soul. While he never learned about her insecurities as a half-Fallen Angel and half-Devil, regardless of her answer, he would accept her just the same. While he didn't want to know it like this, it did ease his mind a bit about his suspicions. Either way, he still wants to get the true story about Akeno from the Devil-Fallen Angel hybrid herself.

"Like your brother, you collect trash. Purely undeserving of your status, really." He finished, about to land.

Rias grit her teeth in anger. "No one ridicules my brother. No one insults the Maou and gets away with it. And most of all, such words against my servants, my friends, my family?! You will be punished through death!"

Just as Kokabiel landed, he blocked a light spear throw from Raynare and a flame kick from Xuelan, summoning two light swords to battle.

Kalawarner had summoned her giant blade to assist, and Koneko charged alongside the blue-haired Fallen Angel, but like the other two, they were blocked by his strong wings.

"Pathetic weaklings!" He spun around, and so did his wings, slashing all four away from him. "That distraction play earlier was smart, preventing me to use the blasts directed at me, but still meaningless. This little diversion is also meaningless. Buy the time all you want, you've deluded yourselves into thinking you had a chance against me!"

"As long as we're standing we'll always have a chance against you! SWORD BIRTH!" Yumi unleashed her swords, forcing Kokabiel to protect himself with his wings and destroy them. Unfurling them, Yumi was right at his face, but the Fallen Angel leader held her sword down. Then she tried with her left, with the same result.

"What now, survivor?" He mocked, only to be surprised by her next move: she summoned a sword, with the hilt being held _by her mouth_ , slashing him for the second time, this one at the other cheek. He yelled in pain and kicked away the girl, also deflecting Xenovia's attack from above. At the same time, Rias and Akeno once again fired off their magic blasts, and while Kokabiel was able to grab the blasts and fire them back at the girls, the distraction gave Kurin the opportunity to strike. Kurin's Desolator materialized once more, slashing the Fallen Angel from behind at his wings, while casting a Chaos Shield at both girls. The girls only took minimal damage, though their clothes weren't exactly left unscathed. While all of this was happening, Asia, with the power boost from Kurin, had been tending to the downed girls.

"Never insult my friends and girlfriends ever again." He warned him.

For the first time, Kokabiel was down to one knee. "You will pay for that." In his anger, his wings reached out and stabbed Kurin right in his shoulder, and then fired a huge blast heading towards Yumi.

' _SHIT!'_ Kurin thought, flashing back to Yumi's side to protect her, except he had collapsed, holding his bleeding shoulder. However, Xenovia recovered in time, blocking the blast and destroying it. Asia watched the whole field and realized that she can't really heal them one by one. With the boost once more, the ex-nun opened her arms and commenced a Healing Field, healing everyone of their wounds. Yumi held Kurin as he sat up.

That being said, it didn't help them recover the energy needed to fight. Only Kurin could recover his energies with the help of Sellorion.

The battle had reached a momentary ceasefire.

"I'll be honest. I didn't expect you to continue fighting after losing your master. So imagine my surprise when you had arrived earlier." Kokabiel said, as he stood up, with a bit of a struggle at first.

At that statement, everyone grew-wide eyed. Kurin and Sellorion did so as well, but for a different reason.

' _Oh no.'_ / _ **[Oh no.]**_

"What are you talking about?!" Rias and Raynare asked.

"What made you say that? Why did you say that I've lost my master?!" The exorcist asked.

"Oops, looks like I wasn't supposed to tell you." He mockingly said.

"Answer me, Kokabiel!" Xenovia shrieked, feeling fearful about where this was going.

The Fallen Angel leader began to laugh. "How could I forget? This is war I'm inciting, so there's no need to hide it!"

"Girls." Kurin called out, and they all turned to him.

"I didn't think it'd have to come this early, and in a situation like this, but he said it, so I'll have to let this out."

"Kurin-kun, what are you talking about?" Raynare asked.

"So you do know." Kokabiel noted. "I do not know how you were able to find out, nor do I care. So tell them! Tell them what I mean!"

"I'm getting to that, idiot!" He barked. He sighed. "In the Great War, it wasn't just the Four Maous who died."

He paused, before continuing. "God perished in the war as well."

The pure shock on the faces of everyone (except the two who knew) was evident, none more so than Asia and Xenovia and the Fallen Angel girls.

"Impossible..." Xenovia breathed out.

"God...is dead? All this time?" Kalawarner and Raynare uttered.

"How?! Such a thing could not have happened!" Rias said, trying to deny it.

Sellorion held his silence throughout it all. He could feel nothing but immense regret as he was reminded of the memory of that day. He knew he was a part of the reason for God's death.

' _It's not your fault.'_ Kurin could only offer nothing but words.

"The Great War left many casualties, and it brought an end to the Maous and numerous High-Class Devils, along with most of the lower Angels and the Fallen Angels. As a result of this, the Pure Angels could no longer reproduce, and the number of pure-blooded Devils are very few now."

"No...this can't be..." Asia whispered.

"Due to the war itself, in the aftermath, all three factions had to rely on the humans to survive. And of course, they could not let them be notified of God's death. The leaders of the Angel, Fallen Angel, and Devil factions concealed God's death to make the humans, who believe in God, survive!" Kokabiel continued.

Xenovia collapsed onto her knees. "You lie. You lie!"

"Like I give a care now. What mattered to me, however, was the fact that after those deaths, all three factions deemed that war was no longer meaningful! I couldn't take that. It was unbearable! They told us to lower our weapons, our raised fists, but we could've won if we kept fighting! That asshole Azazel even said that there would never be another war. I couldn't stand that anymore!"

Asia shakily stood. "If...if our Lord's gone, then...then...where is His love coming from?!" She asked, stuttering.

"Michael is doing a good job at maintaining the system. He had been the one who took God's role in leading the Angels and humans after His death."

"Wait, Archangel Michael is substituting for God? Then, this means..."

"As long as the system is working, the prayers, the blessings, the exorcisms, they still work to an extent."

Asia couldn't take the information she had gotten and combining with the resulting shock fainted, caught by Koneko.

"Asia!" Raynare went to her side.

"She can't help it. When something like this becomes known...I'm surprised I haven't lost my mind either." Xenovia explained.

Kokabiel continued, "That being said, the number of people who believe in God has decreased. Without an entity to maintain the balance, it becomes skewed, and the anomalies like the Holy Demonic swords would be inevitable. Of course, those two elements should never come together, but when something like that happens, well, it happens. God's death changed the worlds forever, and we can't ever return to that."

Raynare and Koneko rested Asia against a tree. They both looked at the girl with sympathy, knowing how devout she was.

"I will end this war how it was supposed to end, and I will start by taking your heads as souvenirs!" Kokabiel finished his rant.

* * *

Back outside, Kurin's clone was slowly fading away. "I've used up almost all my power to help you maintain the barrier, everyone."

"Hey, thanks for your help, Kurin. If you didn't show up, I might have let go far before this point already." Saji said.

"No problem, Saji. Now...we can only hope that they can finish the job." The clone had used up all his power in supplying everyone, and had faded away completely.

' _Thank you, Kurin.'_ Sona thought.

* * *

"War. Like the quote from a certain game, war never changes. War will never bring us anything other than pain and suffering. And even if you do win, nothing good comes out of it. We will all suffer from that." Kurin said, standing up.

"You should know words like that never mean anything to me, foolish human." Kokabiel stated.

"I know that, but you don't have any reason to take this all out on people and homes that never did anything to you. And...even though my anger has gone, I still want justice for the deaths of my parents and my guardians." He said.

The Fallen Angel leader took a good look at him, and had a realization. "The last Salamencia. I remember now. You're not the little boy that I had seen back then when I watched your parents die. You have grown. And I can't wait to finally finish what I started."

Those words awakened something in the young human. It wasn't anger, however. Instead of the usual purple glow, he glowed black and white this time.

"Wings out!" His red wings unfurled. The others tried to back him up, but he shrugged his head. He turned back around and smiled at them. "Guys, rest. We've done it."

He turned back to the Fallen Angel leader. He grinned. "Your time's up, Kokabiel. You're done for."

"We haven't even started yet! How are you so sure?" He asked, laughing.

"Because I'm here, and because she's finally decided to stop wasting time." He looked up. "Did you miss me, Vivian?"

They heard a womanly chuckle. "I'm touched you waited for that long for me."

The barrier broke, and it blew the entire student council away.

Sona, however, realized just who broke it.

Against the view of the moon, she showed up. Vivian Lucifer, the White Dragon Empress, appeared in her dress armor, with the familiar wings that came with it.

"The Vanishing Dragon?!" Kokabiel said in shock. "What drew you here?!"

"Simple, really." Kurin took advantage, punching Kokabiel in the stomach and threw him away, while Vivian grabbed a pair of wings and ripped them.

"These wings...they're inferior, like a young crow's. Azazel's is much darker, like the eternal void."

"What are you after?" He asked, grabbing the spot where those wings were, grunting in pain.

"Did you think Azazel wouldn't be aware of it?" Kurin asked from behind before kicking him again. "From the moment you decided to incite war, you lost. Azazel sent her to bring you back for judgment."

"The wings you have, there's no need for a man who's fallen below the ground to deserve them."

"You can't stop me!" Kokabiel flied up and summoned his biggest light spear. He was about to throw it, when-

"Divide!" Vivian's power cut down the spear until it was gone. From behind her mask, she grinned.

"What?!" Kokabiel said in surprise.

"This is the power of my Sacred Gear. This is Divine Dividing. Every ten seconds, it halves the power of anyone I touch and returns that power to me." The White Dragon Empress explained.

Kurin flew up and kicked Kokabiel towards the girl, who punched him in the same spot Kurin did the first time. "Your power will be even weaker than a human's, Kokabiel. And that's the thing you hate, don't you?" Kurin mocked. "Weaker than a _human_. Weaker than _me_."

With blinding speeds, Vivian brought down the rogue Fallen Angel, as he yelled out, "DAMN YOU, AZAZEL!"

The light from the circle used to fuse the Excaliburs dissipated.

"Rias, they won...but what was that light?" Sona wondered, as the rest of her peerage watched.

Both winged individuals landed down. Kurin, after storing up his wings, turned to the others and smiled. "It's over." The girls went over and hugged him.

Vivian picked up both the unconscious Fallen Angel and Freed. "Aside from bringing Kokabiel back, there's some questions for that stray exorcist as well."

Kurin pulled away from the group hug and allowed Sellorion to take over.

 **[Been a while, hasn't it, Albion?]** Sellorion asked.

Albion, from the gauntlet, chuckled. **[Indeed it has, old friend. Though I'm disheartened that this generation doesn't have a wielder for Ddraig.** **I guess I'll have to wait for the next generation.** **We're lucky someone can fill up that void at least. Kurin has improved, from what I'm sensing.]**

The Undying Remorse's embodiment laughed. **[We are! And yes, he has improved lots. Might even beat your wielder too.]**

Albion laughed alongside him. **[We'll see, Sellorion. We'll see.]**

With that, Sellorion relinquished control back to Kurin. "Hey, Vivian." He approached her as she put both men down on the ground, relinquishing her dress armor.

Kurin now stood facing her from only a few inches away. Both looked at each other intensely. Then, without warning, the young human ruffled the girl's hair. She pushed him away, and both laughed.

The girl quickly embraced the human. "We'll see each other soon."

"You better. I missed you as well."

The girl donned her dress armor again, picked up both men, and flew away as the others watched.

"The White Dragon Emperor, or should I say _Empress_. This is rather unexpected." Sona had arrived with the rest of her council members.

"At least it's over now. Kurin had stalled enough time for her to finally get here, and they saved the city together." Rias said. She turned to the human, and so did Raynare. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

"I know. I'll explain as best I can." He flew upwards to survey the damage.

' _Wow, that's actually a whole lot of damage.'_ He cringed at the sight.

"Right, then, Tsubaki, let's get to repairing the school. We need to finish by morning." He heard Sona say as he landed.

"We'll help you guys out." Rias offered.

"That's alright. The student council is the ones usually responsible for taking care of the school." Sona said.

"Well, if you're sure." Raynare said, shrugging. As Yumi went towards Rias and apologized to her and everyone, Kurin noticed Xenovia just a bit farther away from the rest, so he decided to approach her, leaving them to decide Yumi's punishment for her previous actions.

"Hey." He called out. The blue-haired woman turned and smiled towards him.

"Hey yourself. You were amazing. If...if we sparred again, I know I'd lose." She said, turning back to her sword, which she was planning to seal it back.

He sighed. "Don't think like that, Xenovia-chan. You're still an incredibly strong individual. I mean, who else, probably other than me, can wield the Durandal? And even then, you're a better user of it than I am. Don't sell yourself short, girl." He then reached out and wrapped his arm around her body and pulled her towards his, embracing her and taking her by surprise.

"H-hey!" She said, her normally stoic voice becoming high-pitched due to her surprise.

"I made a promise, remember? And I kept that promise. You're still here, still with me." He told her.

"You always did keep your promises." She remarked, looking at him deeply. Feeling bold, she decided to go with what her heart had been urging her to do for some time since reuniting with him. She pulled his head towards hers to crash her lips towards his in a passionate kiss. It had been a long time (for her) since she last met Kurin. As with the effect the young human has, the human girl fell for him like his girlfriends did. The separation did nothing to erode the love she felt for the nigh-immortal boy. The feeling came back in full force in their reunion, and it only fueled her feelings even more with each passing moment they shared together.

Xenovia wrapped her arms around his neck while Kurin wrapped his around her waist to pull her closer, her body flushed against his. She let out a moan when he gently bit her lower lip, and the ensuing action made Kurin engage his tongue in her mouth, exploring her moist caverns. Xenovia of course didn't let up, and wrested control against Kurin with her tongue. Still, she lost, and she simply surrendered to his machinations and fall to his actions.

Eventually they pulled away, gasping for air.

"Are you going to stay here?"

"It could be possible. But I have to first report everything that's happened here, but it is likely. There is a reason why the Church themselves only know God's true fate and hid it from the entirety of humanity. In any case, I will be branded a heretic and be excommunicated."

Kurin sighed. "Yeah, all of that is true. But, what about Irina?"

Her eyes widened. " _She cannot know._ She's more devout than I am. To know of God's death would devastate her."

He nodded. He turned to the others, who were all slack-jawed with wide eyes.

"Awww shit." Kurin sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. He knew this little harem was gonna grow, whether he had wanted to or not, and he'll need a bigger house soon enough. Not to mention explaining the fact that he already has two girlfriends to Xenovia...

Being with all of them, however, made it all so worth it.

That being said, he just wanted to ask one more question.

"Yumi's punishment isn't too bad, right?"

* * *

The next afternoon met Kurin and Raynare with an interesting sight.

"Meet Kuoh Academy's newest student." Rias announced. The two turned to the blue-haired girl.

"So you decided to go to school with us. That's nice." Kurin went to embrace his newest girlfriend, and everyone of course wanted a hug too, so he gave them a hug each as well.

"I was unsure what to do after what happened. The verdict was swift, and I said my goodbyes to Irina. I decided to follow what was best for me and stay with you."

Rias nodded, a smile on her face. "We now have a valuable ally who can wield the Durandal. Unfortunately, the prowess Xenovia has makes her a better knight, which means Raynare," She called out.

"Yes, buchou?"

"You will have to switch to the role of Rook from this point on."

Raynare nodded in understanding. "I'll do my best!"

"Asia Argento." Xenovia called out, turning to her.

"Yes?"

"I owe you an apology for my harsh words." She bowed down. "With our Lord gone, there is no one to love or save us. I went from being a noble Holy Sword wielder to a taboo-breaking heretic. The way they changed their view of me was immediate, and you must've experienced the same thing."

"I'm very happy with my life right now, Xenovia-san. I may be a Devil now, but that led me to this bond that I've forged with everyone here. I wouldn't change anything."

Xenovia at first was surprised, but it was quickly replaced with a smile, one that exhibited both relief and genuine happiness for the ex-nun. "I only have one favor to ask."

"Anything."

"Could you give me a tour of the school?"

"Of course!"

"And we can also train with each other, Xenovia. You, me, and Yumi can train in wielding our swords better, now that you're here." Kurin offered.

"That would be glad." Yumi said. Xenovia nodded.

"Right, then. With that settled, shall we get onto our club activities?" Rias stood as she asked.

Everyone nodded, their excitement felt very evidently. Everything went back to the usual normality that was standard for everyone.

...Still, Kurin's thoughts were locked onto one name since yesterday, and unfortunately, this was a name he desperately _wanted_ to push out, but couldn't.

 _'Serafall...'_

* * *

 **AN: That wraps up the Excalibur arc (and my longest chapter yet). To be honest, having to divide between school, social life, gaming (mostly Paladins casual/ranked), and writing stories is super difficult, and sometimes I end up having doing too much of one to leave time for the others.**

 **30K views! I'm so happy that my story got that much. I hope to reach 50k soon too lol, but seriously thanks for getting the time to read this little fic.**

 **So, officially, Xenovia is the third girl to be a part of Kurin's harem. Any guesses as to who might be next? There's still only one girl that I haven't listed that's gonna be a part of the harem. The answer might surprise you.**

 **The next arc...this should reveal a huge part of Kurin's backstory and the involvement of a few certain people. We're gonna delve into his past, especially when a certain someone shows back up in his life.**

 **I just put up a Twitter account a week ago, so if anyone wants to follow me, pm me so I can tell you guys. From time to time I'm gonna post up about progress about my fics (and probably rant from time to time lol)**

 **So, as usual, review. See you all next update.**


	14. Unwinding

" _You were too late! No one was there! Where were you?! WHERE WERE YOU?!"_

" _Kurin, please! You're angry, I get that, but what had happened to me, to us, it was something we couldn't have predicted at all! We just...we were told that you and your guardians all died! And then something just...just...just forced us to accept it, like it was a permanent thing! But I fought through it!"_

" _Well maybe you should've tried harder! You never showed up! They died because no one could help them, and I wasn't strong enough! And, and...I can't stand looking at you now. Every time, I now get reminded of what happened. Just leave, Serafall. I don't know what I might do if you're still in my sight."_

" _But-"_

" _LEAVE!"_

 _As the boy watched her tears flow and the girl run from him, he could feel his heart shatter, as if he did something wrong._

 _He held out his hand, but nothing would come from doing so, and he was painfully aware of what he had done. "Wait, wait! Don't leave! Serafall, please! Come back! COME BACK! I'M SORRY!" He collapsed down to his knees, knowing that there was nothing that could be done._

" _Serafall!"_

* * *

"SERAFALL!"

It had been a week since the battle with Kokabiel.

The young human woke up in a cold sweat, sitting up. The nightmare was all too real. The memory of his friendship with the female Maou breaking apart was something he wanted all gone for good, but the battle with Kokabiel forced it all back to his mind. He shuddered at what he had dreamed. He didn't want to be that kind of person again. He was lucky Raynare didn't wake up, as she was sleeping soundly next to him.

He knew he didn't feel like sleeping anytime soon. He decided to go downstairs and eat a meal, even though it was about two in the morning.

By this point in his life, he shouldn't expect anything and as such not be too surprised...much.

However, of all the things to come in his life, Kurin Salamencia certainly _did not_ expect a nekoshou at his household one night, one that was just lazing around in his own home playing video games at that, sitting in front of the computer, headphones on, eyes focused. Eyebrows raising in interest, he decided to walk over and see what this woman was playing.

"What kind of Ahri are you trying to build, girl? Bot lane AD Ahri doesn't exist." He said as he watched her play League of Legends with Ahri. Then he saw the neko pick up a triple kill. Then his jaw dropped when she hunted the last two for a pentakill. The girl just turned around and smirked at him as she and her teammates won the game.

"Off-meta. Go off-meta, nya." She said.

"What do you know about going off-meta? That's just one game." He told her.

"I just do, nya. I play my game and force everyone else to adapt to me." She shrugged and exited the game client.

He sighed. "Right, onto business. Who are you and what are you doing here in my house, nekoshou?"

"I'm Kuroka, nya. I just stumbled in here because I felt your immense power flowing. And I'm surprised you already recognize me as a nekoshou and not a nekomata." The cat-eared girl explained.

"Power sense, power sense—wait, do you have proficiency in Sage Arts?"

"Senjutsu to be precise, but I guess you can call it that." She nodded.

Kurin quickly summoned his armblades. "No one just stumbles in here for no reason. Were you sent by someone?"

She shook her head. "Not after I left them."

Kurin tilted his head. "You...left? As in...deserted a group or something?"

She nodded, looking down. "Close enough. I could not handle what they are doing, and...Shirone…I need to make things right. Everything I had been doing, I kept forgetting who I'm doing this for...Nya."

He sighed. His innately kind nature will bite him back soon enough. His armblades dematerialized and relaxed his posture. "Do you want to live with me?"

She looked up in surprise, eyes wide. "Eh?! You...you're offering me a place to stay?! B-but we just met!"

He just shrugged. "It's who I am, to be honest. Now..." He walked over to the dinner table and turned back to her. "Want a late night meal?"

And only just about half an hour later, Kuroka felt like she was in love. His food was so damn good! Even for a late night reheat, his food somehow just stays being so delicious. She couldn't help but give out a few sounds of satisfaction, to which Kurin just smiled as he ate.

"I appreciate the compliment." He simply said.

"Are you kidding me?! You should be getting more praise than this! This is the best food I've ever had!" Kuroka exclaimed, thought it was a bit difficult to understand with the food still in her mouth.

"Don't talk too much with your mouth like that, girl." He told her.

She nodded as she continued to eat. "So, you're probably wondering who's Shirone." She said after making sure she swallowed all of the food. Kurin nodded.

"She's my sister. You know her as Koneko."

"You...you're her sister? She never said anything about a sister." Kurin hesitated before continuing. "Kuroka...it sounds familiar..." He took their plates and washed them off.

The neko cracked a sad smile. Once he was done, the two moved back to the couch. "That's okay. I can understand that she never told you anything about me. Especially when she has a sister who's done something...horrible, in her eyes."

"Can...can you elaborate on that? I don't want to make Koneko uncomfortable if ever you two meet again, and knowing how you want to make amends with her, I think it's best if I mediate the both of you should you guys encounter each other." He asked warily as he stared into her eyes. Family issues were never a steady topic to talk about. Kurin himself never had the outlet to vent about what had happened to him years prior and two years prior as well. Sellorion already knew because he himself was witness to it, and even he failed to lift his spirits up to a point where he's sane enough. It was only through meeting Raynare that his fortunes were starting to change. So he understood what Kuroka was going through. And that's why he's treading it lightly right now.

She yawned, stretching her arms up and nestled herself right on his body.

"Nyaaa~ so tired..." She closed her eyes.

Unsure about what to do, Kurin just let his left arm rest on his side, while his right was just nuzzling the top of her head. The girl opened her eyes again, giving a teasing smile.

"Just kidding! Though keep doing that, I like it."

The boy just shrugged and did what she requested, causing her to purr.

Somehow, Kurin liked that sound. It was cute. So he decided to take it up a bit and rub her ears.

She let out a moan from that. The young human decided to take note of that as well from that moment on. "Me and Shirone...Koneko, I mean, we were once very close, nya. We were the closest of sisters. We had to be, with our parents both gone, and I had to protect and care for her. We once belonged to a High-Class Devil, and as a result I was reincarnated to be a part of his peerage, as his Bishop. However, he wasn't very gentle, nor was he even kind at all. He was...scary. He wanted power. And the way he was trying to obtain it...I wouldn't wish it on anyone...nya."

"What kind of power? How does he want it?"

"Any power to make his peerage stronger, and not through training or any reasonable means. He was willing to have his servants go through crazy power-ups and experiments, and often...they weren't pretty. As my time being his Bishop passed, so did my power levels, and it even exceeded that of my old master."

"I take it he was super interested in your powers from that moment on, then."

"Not in my powers, but the powers of the Nekoshou in general. He wanted to experiment on my sister to test those powers. I wasn't going to allow him to do that."

"So you killed him. And it changed your lives forever."

The neko was silent for a few, but she confirmed it with a small nod. "That it did. I had to leave my sister behind. I knew the consequences of this act. I wasn't gonna be heralded as a person who saved her sister from an unforgivable act, but a criminal who had gone mad with power and killed her master, like a Stray Devil. I was branded a Stray Devil, SS-Class."

"And none of the higher-ups had decided to look into it a bit more?"

She gave a bitter chuckle. "Why would they?"

He decided to wrap his arms around her tightly, embracing the young woman. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. At least you were able to protect your family, even if it did cost you a sisterly bond."

"It's been a few years since that day. I've grown to move on from it, and I just wanted to have my sister back. So I decided to join the Khaos Brigade, thinking I could do something to change all of this."

Kurin's eyes grew wide. This was gonna be difficult.

If he was gonna accept her into his household, he must learn to quell his extreme dislike for them, after what had happened. But over the last few years he had never heard of her in the terrorist organization at all, so it did help. The fact that she left helps too.

"I take it you know me then, through Vivian?"

She broke out of his embrace to sit up to look at him in surprise. "You know Vivian?"

He grinned. "How could I not?" He decided to move to a more important question, shifting his face to a questioning gaze. "Why did you leave?"

"It...it didn't feel right. What I was doing as a part of her team...it just gave me a sense of dread, that this is not what Shirone would've wanted. She may hate me now, but I know deep inside she misses me. Like, if she was here, she would be scolding me for making a decision like this. So now, I willingly left them."

"How did they take your departure?"

"Only the team knows. The rest of the Khaos Brigade doesn't. But they were accepting of it—wait!" She then looked at him suspiciously. "You know Vivian is a part of the Khaos Brigade, even though she's still under Azazel's care?"

He nodded. "Unfortunately. Still, only Vivian, and now you, are the only ones from the Khaos Brigade that I really wouldn't consider as an enemy. Everyone else there is fair game."

"So you know she might betray him and you guys, right?"

He sighed. "Honestly, she could do better. She has to understand it's sometimes not about siding with the strongest to fight the strongest."He gave a chuckle before his next words. "Either she needs to get a hobby other than fighting, or she needs to get laid."

Kuroka couldn't help but suddenly laugh at that blunt statement.

"No I'm serious here! I mean for gods' sake, we don't have the vessel for the Sekiryuutei! We don't even know where the Boosted Gear is right now! There's no rivalry here for our generation." Then he couldn't help himself but laugh too.

"Honest to gods Vivian, she's…well, she's a good person, at least that's what I believe. She just needs to renew herself and find her purpose. Though if she doesn't, I think I'll be fine with that too." He added.

"You two seem close."

"Ha! If only we were much closer than companions. I've seen her in her worst, and believe me, she just wants to focus on getting herself stronger. For what purpose...I don't know yet. She's as secretive as I am sometimes."

"Eh? With this super kind-hearted thing you have for yourself I wouldn't think you'd be the type to go in isolation."

He just smiled. "Well, I guess meeting a certain Fallen Angel helped speed it up."

Neither of them spoke for a while, just letting the silence and the air permeate the room.

The empowered boy made a decision, calling her attention.

"Hey, you know what, I'll help clear your name. You don't deserve having to be on the run, and you certainly don't deserve being away from your sister for so long."

She looked up at him with wide eyes. "But...why?" Her voice had broken slightly. He was being so kind to her, and she felt she didn't deserve it at all, considering he welcomed her in his home for no reason, and not to mention just trespassing his house rings all kinds of problems if it were anyone not named Kurin.

He just shrugged. "Just another wrong that needs to be fixed."

She realized he was different, so much more different.

"Thank you...thank you so much." She embraced him tightly. He responded with an arm around her back and a hand on her head.

"Give it time, and everything will be okay."

Now he just needed a way to communicate with someone to help him on this. A high-class Devil, preferably. A Maou, if that's even possible.

The morning after, Kuroka left Kurin, promising to return very soon.

As for him, he decided to visit someone he hadn't met up in a while.

* * *

"Are you saying this would be the last time we're meeting?" He asked, arms crossed as he pointedly stared at Orchintia's troubled face. "You never gave me a heads-up."

"I know, and I apologize for that."

He knew there was no changing it.

"Alright, what do you want to do for today, then, since it's our last meeting? Are we going to do baking?"

To his surprise, the woman shook her head. "No. I want to make this last one worth it."

"How so?" Then he realized what she was implying. "No, no way, you can't possibly...are you going to ask me out on a date?"

The smile on her face answered his question. "Not you too…I get more than enough attention from the girls and now this too. I mean what is it that you all find in me?"

"Is this because I'm too old for you?" She teased. His eyes grew wide.

"N-not at all! I wouldn't mind having to date you and—DAMN IT!" He calmed himself down. "I mean, look, you're a very beautiful woman, and you're good looking in your mid-twenties, and I just think you deserve someone far better than someone like me." He turned away, slightly blushing.

She reached out and caressed his face, which made Kurin turn back to face this beautiful woman. "Oh, Kurin. You're probably the only one who's made me feel this way. I want to make it up to you." She leaned down and kissed his forehead. He felt he was a tad bit burning up from the contact. "Maybe you'll get more than that if our date is successful." She gave a chuckle after that. She moved away from him and started organizing her stuff.

"I'll see you in the weekend." She said, breaking him out of his dazed state.

"O-oh! Alright. And, just to clarify, I can't refuse because I'm still under contract with you, right?" He said.

"That's true. This is your last favor, so make it special for me." She told him.

He felt hesitant. "I...won't let you down, then." He lastly said before he left the house. In his mind he feels the situation getting worse, as he just accepted a date, and he already has three girlfriends.

Orchintia looked back at the open doorway with sad eyes. "Oh, Kurin. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for what happened." Closing the door, she leaned back on the door, collapsed on her knees and broke down crying.

Sometimes, there are certain memories best left forgotten than remembered.

* * *

"That was quite the beating you gave to the renegade Kokabiel, Kurin. Like what you're doing now." Azazel said as he was getting beat down by Kurin in their game, grinning.

He shrugged. "It was no trouble. I held back a bit until Vivian came. Once she did, we unloaded our best, and he couldn't even scratch us." The game was over after Kurin knocked out Azazel in the second round.

"Let's talk seriously for a moment, Azazel-san." The boy said, putting down his controller. "You and I both know this incident has caused a wake-up call for all three factions. Is there anything planned?"

"As a matter of fact, I was going to tell you that. The three factions are going to hold a conference regarding that, discuss relations, and probably even renew the peace treaty that's kept us in steady hands for so long."

A hard look passed Kurin's gray eyes. "When?"

"A week from now."

"Where?"

* * *

"The school building? It's understandable." Rias said once she was informed the next day.

"I think so too. By all accounts, the human world is the neutral ground for all three factions. Holding it in either Heaven, the Underworld, or in the my faction's HQ would mark suspicion." Raynare said.

"True. That way it would make it that there's no advantage for any of the three factions." Kurin said.

"What do we do, then?" Xenovia asked.

"At this point I'm not sure. We just have to be there, I guess. It depends on what happens." Kurin answered.

"We just have to be ready." Rias finished.

"A week from now...there must be a lot of preparations at this point. And with Parents' Day coming up tomorrow..." Yumi noted.

 _Parents' Day._ The words stuck on Kurin's mind. It would come to haunt him soon.

Just about an hour later, they all went with their club activity for the day, arriving at the swimming pool.

"Yeesh, this hasn't been cleaned for a long time, has it?" Kurin said, looking at the pool and retched at the sight.

Rias nodded. "Unfortunately. It's been quite some time since it had been used, and again, sadly, no one was able to maintain the pool's condition. Originally it was Sona and the student council's duty to clean it, but in return for their assistance in our battle against Kokabiel, I volunteered us to do it. Once it's cleaned up, we then get to be the first to use it!"

"Oh, how nice."

Everyone then went to their changing halls and switched to their cleaning-appropriate clothes. With Kurin being the only guy among them he was alone in the men's changing hall, this gave him time to think and speak with Sellorion.

 _ **[So. Serafall.]**_

' _As I said before, I honestly don't know what I might do if I ever see her again. Would I feel anger? Would I actually forgive her and I'd apologize? I don't know.'_

 _ **[It's been a long time now, Kurin. Serafall still probably feels the same way about you despite what you did.]**_

' _Ha, as if. I regretted it. And now I don't think I can do anything to restore it.'_

 _ **[Always believe, boy. That girl is more forgiving than you think.]**_

' _How do you know that?'_

 _ **[I just do.]**_

' _I'll leave that be...for now.'_

Meanwhile, on the girls' changing hall, Raynare had been talking to Xenovia as they changed.

"I can assist you with the calligraphy. Trust me, it is difficult initially, but once you get the basics down, it gets easier from there. Well, depending on the person." Raynare suggested.

Xenovia smiled and nodded. "I would be grateful for that, Raynare-san."

"Speaking of which, how did you fare in writing kanji, Raynare-san?" Asia asked.

The fallen angel shrugged. "As I said I had some difficulty when I started, but once I had been able to familiarize myself with the basics, the rest was just a walk in the park. Don't get too worked up about it, you two. You will be fine."

The two girls nodded, and prayed, and of course got a headache from that. Raynare laughed and helped up Asia, while everyone else finished up changing clothes. The girls exited the hall to find Kurin already starting up the cleaning process. The girls quickly got started as well. In no time they finished cleaning the entire pool.

Kurin wiped off the sweat from his forehead. "Nicely done, girls. Now we can get to the fun part."

The boy entered the changing hall and was just as quick to go out as he went in, having only removed his shirt, leaving his toned upper body exposed. He sat down and meditated for a few minutes, before he heard the door from the girls' side open. Looking at the girls' swimsuits, he couldn't help but be mesmerized by their appearances.

Rias, Akeno, and Raynare had all worn a bikini set. Raynare worn an alluring black bikini, the bra doing little to cover much of her large breasts from exposure. Rias wore a similar set, only in white colors this time. And Akeno's was a striped blue and red bikini.

Yumi went with a more modest set, having worn a tank top and shorts. As for Asia and Koneko, they each wore a one-piece swimsuit.

Same goes with most of the girls upon looking at him. Akeno, in particular, felt herself heat up just as she stared at him, with a naughty glint in her eyes, along with a slight tinge of nervousness at the same time, though she didn't know why she felt a bit nervous there.

Kurin let out a deep breath. He had to stop to keep himself from staring too long. "You girls look so amazing."

Raynare giggled. "Thank you, Kurin-kun." She went over and deeply kissed him on the lips, and was soon followed by Rias as well.

Asia, Koneko, and Yumi then separated to do their activities, while Kurin lied on the water, facing the sun.

"Where's Xenovia?"

"Oh, she had some difficulty with changing clothes so she told us to just go on ahead." Asia said.

Kurin nodded in understanding. He decided to do some backstrokes as he lied down floating. That was quickly interrupted by a diving Raynare, who had leaped up and cannonballed into the pool, knocking the poor human out of his calm disposition.

"I'm going to get you for that, Ray-chan." He growled.

She stuck out her tongue in response. "Catch me if you can, then!"

It wasn't like on the ground where Kurin can catch up to his girlfriend with ease, but it didn't mean he wasn't going to catch up to her. So the two raced around, swimming as the boy tried to grab onto the girl that disrupted his swimming session. Eventually he did, leaping up and grabbing her as they fell underwater.

The fallen angel laughed along her boyfriend as they swam underneath the surface. Eventually Kurin caressed Raynare's cheek and pulled her to crush her lips with his as they made out underwater.

Eventually they had to pull away and rise up to the surface.

"Well, that was new." Kurin said after both had caught their breaths.

"Ah, it was such a good feeling. Maybe we can do that again some time." Raynare suggestively said. Kurin didn't speak and instead just went to kiss his black-haired girlfriend again, to which she was more than happy to comply.

Eventually Kurin took a break from swimming and was sitting down on the edge.

' _Well, this is going super well for us right now.'_ He thought to himself. He then heard Rias call to him, and he turned to look at her. He couldn't quite keep his jaw from dropping at the sight of her lying on her belly, with the clasp on her bra unhooked. He gulped.

"You don't mind rubbing oil on my back, right?" She asked as Kurin knelt down.

He calmed down. "Absolutely not, princess." He said, smirking as he grabbed the oil bottle. Like some sort of magic fingers his work on Rias's back was causing her to let out pleasurable moans. He had done this before, and he still hadn't lost his touch despite how long it was since had last done it.

"You like that, my princess?" He whispered onto her ear. Rias's heart began to swell up, and she gasped in pleasure as he worked out the kinks on her shoulders.

"Please just keep doing that!" She said, almost begged.

"Ah, anything for you, love." Kurin chuckled and continued his work. He knew he was making her squirm, in a _very_ good way, and he was kinda getting hard from just doing this and the sounds she was making only made it worse...along with what she was going to ask of him next.

"Ohhhh, I think that's enough on my back." The redhead turned so that her body was facing him. "Now, can you do my front?"

Kurin's eyes grew wide. "You know what I'm doing to you right now, princess. Are you sure you want to take that even further?"

"Would I want it any other way?"

Kurin's grin grew feral. "Keep teasing me like this and I may not control myself." He growled. Sellorion actually awake unlike _that_ time in the bathroom and putting just a bit more of a push into his hormones wasn't helping a lot either. He was aware of that, and he knew he can't really do anything to stop the perverted embodiment from lowering his inhibitions.

"Oh? So you do want this as well." Kurin almost jumped on instinct, if not for Akeno's timely intervention.

"Ara ara~ it seems you two might get started without me." The vice president of the club teased as she pressed her breasts onto the boy's back.

"Akeno!" Rias pouted.

"I'd say it's unfair to not have him for myself too, right, Rias? Kurin-kun?" Akeno replied.

' _Ah shit. I feel there's gonna be a petty fight breaking out between these two best friends soon.'_ He thought.

"Aren't you getting a bit full of yourself, Akeno?" Rias asked after destroying a concrete block, one hand displaying her black-red flame representing her power.

"Is this how you want to settle things, Rias? I'd be happy to oblige." Akeno's hands crackled with lightning, and both unleashed their powers.

While concerned for the three, Raynare also couldn't help but suppress a small laugh. _'Seems like Akeno's getting a bit antsy. Oh, but I better get Asia and Koneko back in the changing halls. I hope Yumi does the same.'_

The Fallen Angel ran over to the two girls. "Come on, let's get to somewhere safe." Raynare said and quickly led Asia and Koneko to safety.

Meanwhile back in the pool area, Kurin watched as the two argued.

"You know I can't give him to you just yet!" Rias said, throwing a ball of her power. It deliberately missed the girl by a few inches. "And besides, don't you hate men?"

"Then can I at least have a few moments with him to show him my love?" Akeno replied, throwing a bolt of lightning, and like with Rias, it missed the redhead by a couple of inches as well. "And you're asking that coming from the one who never showed an interest in men because 'they're all the same?'"

"Things have changed!"

"So let me at least show him!"

He had heard enough. He decided to leave the two to vent out on each other as well. _'I'm gonna have a nice, long talk with the two of them, especially Akeno, since I still haven't talked to her about her heritage yet.'_ Separated from the others, he was instead found by Xenovia.

"Took you long enough, Xenovia-chan." Kurin said. "Though I would understand that this is the first time you've done this?"

The bluenette nodded. "Tell me, do I look...okay?"

Needless to say Kurin was a bit appalled by whoever designed the swimsuit. The cloth barely covered much of her private parts.

"You may need to expand your swimsuit options. But then again, since you're my girlfriend...you look very stunning." He answered.

The girl blushed and turned away, but eventually cleared up and looked back at him.

"I know that look you have right now. You're thinking about a few things, don't you?" Kurin asked, standing up to face her back, pressing his chin onto her right shoulder, arms snaked around her belly.

"I have. And...I was wondering if I can ask you a favor."

"Anything for you, Xenovia."

"Will you bear me a child?"

Despite the battle that raged on at the poolside, it seemed like the boy didn't hear it at all.

"I'm sorry, did I just hear you say that you want to make babies with me?"

"Y-yes."

Kurin sighed. It seemed he may need to knock a bit of sense back into the girl again. They only had been together (as in reunited) for about two/three weeks, and he was hoping everything he told her didn't get forgotten. He decided to drag her with him (with her consent) to an empty shed that was just next to them.

"Any reason why you suddenly had the thought to want us to have sex and bear a child?" He asked, still holding her like before.

"I've...lost my purpose. All my life my purpose has been to serve God. With the revelation...I felt so lost. But...I think I may have found a new one with you. I want to stay by your side. And have your child." She explained.

There were a few minutes of silence before Kurin gave his answer. "You know we are too young to have a child right now, right? Considering we are both humans, the likelihood of you getting knocked up is more likely." He said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, though he did omit one key fact, one he had kept in mind when he had his first time with Raynare and Rias. "We're still in school for gods' sakes. We can't exactly take care of a child while we're still studying."

Xenovia paused. He...may have had a point with that.

"Xenovia-chan, I understand why you thought of it like that. Having lost a purpose after trying to fulfill it for so long only to have it ripped away, it eats a person's sanity. I love that you've found a goal, but maybe you shouldn't think too far ahead." He said.

"I...guess you are correct in that." She conceded. His points were all correct, she realized. She had been thinking too much long-term that she didn't exactly think about the consequences of the present.

"Although that being said..." He started to snake his hands underneath her bra, groping her breasts and tweaking her nipples while kissing and sucking on her neck, causing Xenovia to let out a moan. "With everything that happened earlier...I think I'll have to take up on that offer." He unclasped her bra, and Xenovia, mind now clouded with lust turned to give Kurin a searing hot kiss, as the young human started to trail his hands down her sides...

 **(No lemon this time people! Moving on...)**

Xenovia's first time with Kurin was a memory to last for the former exorcist. The way he had been so gentle and yet in firm control had her reeling hard from the pleasure.

Kurin helped her out in putting on a new set of clothes on, as she felt her soiled panties would definitely embarrass her. The young human put back on his shorts, and gave the bluenette one more kiss as he groped her breasts again. She moaned from the contact, and both eventually pulled away to join the others.

Kurin surmised that Rias and Akeno must've expended their energies, and he was proven right when he saw the damage laid out, not to mention two laid out girls on the pool. Kurin chuckled and jumped right in, followed by Xenovia. And they continued to have fun for the next few hours, arriving back at the clubhouse in the afternoon.

It was only when they arrived back that Raynare noticed something off from Xenovia.

With a mischievous grin on her face she asked, "You had sex with Kurin-kun, didn't you, Xenovia-chan?"

Everyone gasped at the Fallen Angel's words. Xenovia blushed. "Y-yes, I did."

"He was good, wasn't he?" She teased. The former exorcist slowly nodded.

Raynare sighed in contentment. "I hope I get a turn again soon, Kurin-kun." It was Kurin's turn to blush this time, but he just smiled and went over to Xenovia to embrace her, and Raynare after.

Rias...was less than thrilled, but in the end she couldn't really stay mad at her fellow girlfriend and boyfriend. Especially when he went to embrace the redhead as well as give her a kiss.

"Well, it seems you're all having fun." They heard a voice. Turning around, they noticed a white magic circle glowing, and out came the Maou Lucifer, Sirzechs, along with his Queen, Grayfia.

"O-onii-sama?!" Rias asked, shocked to see his arrival.

"Maou-sama?!" The other devils save for Asia bowed down.

"Kurin Salamencia, Asia Argento?" Sirzechs called out.

"Yes, sir?"

The Maou smiled. "Thank you for helping my sister. I've heard many great things about you two."

"Th-thank you, we're flattered to hear that!" Both said, bowing their heads.

"No need to be so tense, as I'm here on personal business."

"Personal business?" Rias questioned.

Xenovia stepped forward and bowed down. "Maou-sama, I am Xenovia. Pleased to meet you, sir."

"It's a pleasure to meet another part of my sister's family. I couldn't believe my ears at first when I heard that the Durandal's wielder joined Rias. Of course, from what I heard, your connection to Kurin made the decision easier, correct?"

Xenovia nodded. "Yes. I want to stay by his side and help him and his friends."

"An admirable choice. I hope you will continue to support the family as one of my sister's kin."

"I could never turn my back on the words of a Maou, especially of one such as the legendary Lucifer. I promise I will do my very best."

"Thank you, Xenovia."

Rias then stepped forward. "I'm guessing you're here because of Parents' Day? And I guess Grayfia was the one to tell you that?"

"Don't be upset at Grayfia, Ria-tan. Father and Mother will be coming too."

"That being said, you're a _Maou_. You can't just leave your work like this."

"I'm not. I'm also here for another reason."

"The conference for the three factions in Kuoh Academy, right?" Kurin asked.

"Yes." He turned to the boy, curious as to how he knew. "How did you know it would be held here?"

"I got it from a good friend known as _Azazel_." Kurin grinned as he answered this. He knew he got the Maou's curiosity now.

* * *

"The Salamencia household. It's been a long time." Sirzechs said. Sirzechs and Grayfia went with everyone who lived with Kurin at his house, welcomed by both Xuelan and Kalawarner as they all sat at the dinner table to eat, courtesy of Kurin, Xuelan, Kalawarner, and Grayfia.

"It has been, hasn't it, Lucifer-sama?" Kurin asked as he served up the last plate of food, and everyone began to eat.

"Please, Kurin, call me Sirzechs-san."

Kurin shrugged. "Alright, I guess."

"It's been difficult, hasn't it?" The question got everyone's attention, and they all listened in.

"It has. I mean I'd like to think I've moved on, but it's clear I'm still rattled by what happened those years ago."

"You still haven't repaired your friendship with her?"

"No. I blamed her the most, you know. It wouldn't be far off that she still hates me for it."

Sirzechs shook his head. "I guarantee you, Kurin, she's never hated you. Talk to her tomorrow. She'll be there."

Kurin gulped. "I'm...I'm not sure..."

"She still loves you, you know."

"I wish I could believe that." Kurin left the table, having already finished his food, and went for the roof. Sirzechs sighed. The only way Kurin could believe him was if Serafall told him that herself.

"Not to worry, girls. Me and Grayfia will handle the dishes." Sirzechs said. Despite Grayfia's look otherwise, the Maou wasn't going to let her stop him from helping his best friend.

* * *

"How do you like your stay so far, Sirzechs-san?" Kurin asked as he sat up, looking at the Maou lying on the makeshift bed, his girlfriends fast asleep. "I do apologize for...well, you know."

"No, it's fine. If I'll be perfectly honest, Kurin-kun, it's perfect. Back home, nobody would've ever treated me like a normal guest in their home. I've always been treated very lavishly, and sometimes it gets tiring. You're one of the first to just treat me as a normal guest. I thank you for it. And also for earlier, it'll be fine." Sirzechs answered.

Kurin smiled. "I guess, and also it's no problem. I guess sometimes even Maou need a break from the lifestyle they have."

"Very much so, might I add. These are welcome breaks from the norm."

He added, "And comparing Rias when she was in the Underworld to the Rias now, I've never seen her as cheerful and happy as she is today. I thank you for that too."

"Honestly, I just...I don't know."

"Hm? About what, exactly?"

"I mean, I love her, that's true. But I also love the others, some even more so than just being friends, you know. Obviously there's Raynare, who's my first girlfriend, then there's Xenovia too. I mean, is it okay for that? I'm conflicted, and I _know_ this...harem is gonna grow as time passes."

Sirzechs gave out a soft laugh. "Devils may be a possessive sort, but you're not a Devil, correct? Still as human as you were. Just as long as you love them all equally, you will be fine. And judging by how you treat your current girlfriends, even as your lovers increase, I do think you will be able to maintain your love for them. So long as you take care of my sister."

"I will. I may not exactly like the idea of a harem too much, but I'll love them and take care of them to the best of my ability."

"That's good to know, Kurin-kun. I'm curious as to how you met Azazel. Admittedly you had my attention when you learned about the conference from him."

Kurin let out a soft laugh. "Met him? We're practically gaming buddies! He's honestly a good guy, and we had talked a lot about what had happened with Kokabiel before, during, and after the incident. He needed my help, but at the same time he was vital to Kokabiel's defeat. He was the one who told me when and where it will take place."

"I see. Did he display an interest in your Sacred Gear? He is a collector of sorts."

"He told me himself that despite his interest, he just wasn't willing to risk war for collecting and studying them."

"Is that right? Interesting. For Azazel to do that, it shows his willingness to truly desire peace above all else. Though he is still curious about them, surely, it's good to know this. He isn't a warmonger like Kokabiel after all. He had sentenced him to eternal imprisonment in ice once all was said and done regarding his trial."

"Good to know."

"I also want to speak to you on another matter, Kurin-kun."

"Sure, what is it?"

"It is about my closest friend, Grayfia."

Kurin gained a confused look. "Eh? What about her? I thought she was your wife? I noticed that you called her as your closest friend. Aren't you two married?"

He shook his head. "We did try dating in the past, but we agreed to split on amicable terms. At the end of the day, we were still King and Queen, but we're just best friends now. I have found someone I can call my wife, but Grayfia still hasn't."

"Oh dear gods not this too..." Kurin groaned. He was dreading what he was going to say next.

"Kurin, after the conference, would it be of no problem for you if she stays with you for a while?"

"Yep, now I'm dreading it." He said, falling back down to the bed.

Sirzechs laughed.

Kurin sighed. "I guess it shouldn't be too much of a problem. But at this point I might have to buy a bigger house. There's so many of us living here! The house will be overcrowded soon." With more than the limited number, and having a feeling that more will eventually move to live with him, he is gonna need a bigger house.

"We'll find a way." He told him. "Goodnight, Kurin-kun." With that, the Maou went off to sleep.

' _First the arrival of Kuroka, then a date with Orchintia, and then inevitably meeting Serafall again, and now this. What has become of my life...'_

Kurin closed his eyes, despite annoyance of his companion.

' _Ah, and speaking of Kuroka, I'm gonna have to talk to Sirzechs about her case.'_

Sleep came easy for the boy despite the conflicting thoughts in his mind once he calmed himself.

* * *

 **AN: Right, so, finally got this done, and I can't believe Kurin's already got three more girls on his back in one chapter. Damn that guy's making moves, intentional or not, even if he doesn't like the results.**

 **So, this chapter kickstarts the next arc, and by then, we'll be able to know a lot more about Kurin, and the past he holds.** **Also, expect our poor immortal lovable idiot to break down pretty hard. He'll get better, though, no worries.**

 **I was thinking about writing a lemon for this chapter, but alas I wasn't confident enough to write up another. I even tried to write it through, but nerves took over, and I decided to not write one for the chapter.**

 **So, as always, leave a review and let me know of your thoughts. Until then, see y'all on the next update.**


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